9 


EDUCAIIOH  LIBRt 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 

OF  CALIFORNIA 

Education 

GIFT  OF 

Louise  Farrow  Barr 


oc/:,^>v>>>>i^yyy>X'M'yOiri^vi</vV%<>S«^»V^^ 


*«*f/To.  s'F^tf^: 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 

in  2008  with  funding  from 

IVIicrosoft  Corporation 


http://www.archive.org/details/cousinlucyatplayOOabborich 


J  a  c<-  /y      .A  Holt' 


COUSIN  LUCY  AT  STUDY. 


BY  THE  AUTHOR  OF  THE  ROLLO  BOOKS. 


-<>0>©<0-o- 


THE    LUCY   SERIES 


IS   COMPOSED  OF  SIX  VOLUMES,   VIZ.: 


Lucy  Among  the  Mountains. 
Lucy's  Conversations. 
Lucy  on  the  .Sea-.Shore. 


Lucy  at  Study. 

Lucy  at  Play. 

Stories  told  to  Cousin  Lucy. 


A  NEW   EDITION,   REVISED   BY  THE  AUTHOR. 


NEW  YORK: 

THOMAS   Y.  CROWELL   &   CO., 

No.  13  AsTOR  Place. 


Education 
GIFT 


?jr^ 

A  1-^3. 

cs 

/foo 

PEEFACE. 

E'di^c, 

L  1  hrar"/ 

Two  volumes  of  a  series  of  little 
books,  "^oiTesix)iiding,  in  their  gen- 
eral style  and  characteristics,  with  the 
KoHo  Books  for  boys,  but  designed 
more  particularly  for  the  other  sex, 
have  ..Ixoady  been  published,  under  the 
names  of  Cousin  Lucy's  Conversa- 
tions, and  Cousin  Lucy's  Stories. 
This,  and  its  companion.  Cousin  Lucy 
AT  Play  ai  o  now  offered  to  the  public 
in  the  hope  ^hat  the  little  readers,  into 
whose  hands  they  may  fall,  may  be  in- 
terested, and,  in  some  degree  at  least, 
profited,  by  the  perusal  of  them. 


3^± 


1 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 
CHAPTER  I. 

The  New  Slate 9 


CHAPTER  n. 
A  Wagon  Ride 23 

CHAPTER  HI. 
The  Magazine ."..,.    37 

CHAPTER  TV 
Where  is  Royal? 48 

CHAPTER  V. 
Accounts 62 

CHAPTER  VI. 
Majiy  Jay 72 

CHAPTER  VII. 
The  Recess 85 


8  CONTENTS. 

Page 
CHAPTER  YIII. 

Mary  Jay's  Instructions 95 

CHAPTER  IX. 
Just  Saved 108 

CHAPTER  X. 
Diver 119 

CHAPTER  XI. 
A  CONVERSATIOIN 136 

CHAi'TER  XII. 
Interruption 140 

CiiAPrER  XIII. 
The  J'hfoky  of  Ij^terruption 160 


LUCY'S    STUDIES. 


CHAPTER    I. 

THE  NEW  SLATE. 


One  day,  when  Lucy  was  about  five  years  old. 
her  mother  came  home  from  the  citv.  Lucv'a 
brother  Royal  had  been  to  the  city  with  his 
mother ;  but  Lucy  had  remained  at  home.  R03'- 
al  went  to  drive  the  chaise  in  which  his  mother 
rode. 

When  Lucy's  mother  had  got  out  of  the  chaise, 
Royal  handed  her  some  parcels,  which  were  in 
the  back  part  of  the  seat.  There  was  one  thin, 
flat  parcel,  which  was  partly  behind  the  cushion. 
Royal  held  this  up  to  Lucy,  saving,  — 

"  Lucy  !  Lucy  !  —  something  for  3'ou." 

Luc}'  took  it,  and  ran  into  the  house.  She 
asked  her  mother  if  she  might  open  it. 

''  Yes,"  said  her  mother,  "  but  be  careful." 


(C 


10  Lucy's   studjes. 

So  Lucy  ran  to  the  sofa,  and  sat  down  to  open 
ner  parcel.     Royal  came  up  to  her,  and  said,  — 

"  Let  me  open  it  for  you,  Lucy.  /  know  how 
to  open  it. ' 

No,"  said  Lucy,  "  I  want  to  open  *t  myself.' 
Yc"  can't  open  it,"  said  Royal ;  and,  as  he 
spoke,  he  iook  hold  of  the  parcel,  and  attempted 
gently  to  take  it  away  from  Lucy.  "  You  can't 
open  it.  You  can't  untie  the  string ;  it  is  in  a 
hard  knot.     I  saw  the  man  tie  il  myself." 

"  Royal !  Royal ! "  said  Lucy,  in  a  tone  of 
displeasure,  "  let  my  book  alone." 

"  It  isn't  a  book,"  said  Royal ;  "  and  you  can'? 
open  it,  to  see  what  it  is." 

Royal  did  wrong.  He  ought  to  have  reflected 
that  it  would  have  given  Lucy  great  pleasure  to 
open  the  parcel,  and  he  ought  to  have  been  will- 
ing that  she  should  open  it,  and  to  have  been 
contented  with  giving  her  such  assistance  as  she 
needed.  However,  he  knew  that  it  would  be 
wrong  for  him  to  take  the  parcel  away  by  force, 
and  so  he  let  go  of  it,  and  sat  by,  to  see  Lucy 
open  it. 

Lucy  found  that  she  could  not  untie  the  knot. 
Then  she  looked  about  to  find  her  scissors,  to  cut 
it ;  for  she  had  a  pair  of  scissors,  wnich  her  moth- 
er had  bouglit  for  her,  some   time  before  ;  but. 


THE    NEW    SLATE.  11 

then,  as  sh<»  was  accustomed  to  leave  them  any 
where  about  the  house,  wherever  she  had  been 
tising  them,  they  were  continually  getting  lost ; 
and  she  could  not  find  them  now.  Royal,  instead 
of  helping  her,  seemed  rather  inclined  to  tease 
und  trouble  her. 

While  Lucy  was  thus  walking  about  the  room, 
sometimes  looking  for  her  scissors,  and  sometimes 
stopping  to  make  one  more  attempt  to  untie  the 
knot  without  them.  Miss  Anne  came  into  the 
room.  Miss  Anne  was  a  young  lady  about 
seventeen  years  of  age.  Miss  Anne  was  always 
very  kind  to  Lucy. 

'•'  Miss  Anne,"  said  Lucy,  "  do  you  know 
where  my  scissors  are  ? " 

"  No,"  said  Miss  Anne  ;  "  can't  you  get  your 
parcel  open  ? " 

"  No,"  said  Lucy  ;  "  I  can't  untie  the  knot ; 
and  I  can't  find  my  scissors  to  cut  it." 

Miss  Anne  sat  down  in  a  little  rocking-chair , 
and  asked  Lucy  to  come  to  her,  and  let  her  look 
at  it. 

"  See  what  a  hard  knot,"  said  she. 

'^  I  should  have  been  willing  to  have  untied  it 
for   her,"   said   Royal,   "  but  she  would   not  let 


me." 


Miss  Anne  did   not  replj    to  this  remark,  for 


12  Lucy's  studies. 

she  supposed  that  probably  Royal  had  ofFert<l 
his  help  to  Lucy  in  some  way  which  was  D'>t 
pleasant  to  her. 

"  Should  you  like  to  have  me  loosen  the  knot 
a  little  ?  "  she  said  to  Lucy ;  "  and  then  perhaps 
you  can  untie  it." 

"O  yes,"  answered  [icy;  and  she  put  the 
parcel  into  Miss  Anne's  hands. 

Miss  Anne,  who  understood  the  convolutions 
of  a  knot  better  than  Lucy,  and  who  conse- 
quently knew  just  where  to  attempt  to  open  it, 
soon  got  it  loosened.  Lucy  watched  her,  afraid 
that  she  would  open  it  too  much. 

"  There,"  said  she,  "  Miss  Anne,  there,  that 
will  do.     I  can  open  it  now." 

So  Miss  Anne  put  the  parcel  into  her  hands, 
and  Lucy  now  succeeded  in  untying  the  knot. 
After  taking  off  the  string,  she  opened  the  paper, 
and  there  came  out  a  handsome  slate,  of  a  beau- 
tiful purple  color,  and  a  red  morocco  frame. 

"  O,  what  a  pretty  slate  !  "  said  Lucy. 

Near  one  comer  of  the  slate  was  a  sort  of 
socket,  made  by  a  duplicature  of  the  morocco^ 
and  Lucy  observed  a  slate  pencil  sticking  into  it. 
She  pulled  it  out,  and  said,  — 

"  O,  here  is  a  pencil ;  I  mean  to  mark  on  my 

Sl5>»"-" 


THE    NEW    SLATE.  13 

**  I  expect  you  are  going  to  study  arithmetic," 
laid  Miss  Anne. 

"  5f  es,"  said  Royal,  "  she  is,  and  I  am  going  to 
teach  her." 

"  No,"  said  Lucy,  "  I  would  rather  have  Miss 
A.nne  to  teach  me." 

"  No,  Lucy,"  replied  Royal ;  "  mother  said,  if 
I  would  teach  you  to  add  little  sums  in  arithme- 
tic, without  any  carrying,  she  would  give  us  a 
paint-box." 

"  Give  who  a  paint-box  ? "  said  Lucy. 

"  Why,  you  and  me,"  replied  Royal. 

"  Well,"  said  Lucy,  "  then  you  may  teach 
me." 

Accordingly  Lucy  went  and  sat  down  by  Roy- 
al upon  the  sofa,  to  take  her  first  lesson  then,  as 
they  were  both  in  haste  to  get  the  paint-box. 
Royal  set  Lucy  a  sum ;  but,  on  looking  at  it  after 
he  had  set  it,  he  rubbed  it  out,  and  set  another. 
This  also  he  rubbed  out.     At  length  Lucy  said,  — 

"  Why,  Royal,  what  makes  you  rub  them  all 
out  ?  " 

"  Because,"  said  Royal,  "  there's  carrying  in 
them." 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean  bv  carrying," 
said  Lucy. 

Royal  attempted  to  explain  it  to  her,  but  sne 


14  tx^cy's  studies. 

could  not  understand.  He  told  hei  that,  when 
she  added  up  a  column,  and  the  amount  was  in 
two  figures,  she  must  cany  one  of  them.  Bu 
Lucy  could  not  understand  at  all.  She  did  not 
know  what  he  meant  by  a  "column,"  or  an 
•'  amount,"  or  by  any  thing  being  '*  in  two  fig- 
ures." In  the  mean  time.  Miss  Anne,  who  had 
seated  herself  at  the  window,  with  her  sewing, 
went  on  quietly  attending  to  her  work,  until  at 
length  the  conversation  between  Royal  and  Lucy 
cam  ^  to  be  almost  a  dispute ;  and  she  said,  — 

"  Royal,  I  thought  you  were  not  going  to 
teach  Lucy  carrying ;  but  only  sums  that  had  no 
canying  in  them." 

"  So  I  was,"  said  Royal ;  "  but  then  she  asked 
me  herself  what  carrying  was,  and  so  I  had  to 
tell  her." 

"  No,"  replied  Miss  Anne,  "  you  need  not 
have  attempted  to  explain  it  to  her  fully.  It 
would  have  been  enough  to  have  told  her,  that 
It  was  a  difficult  process  in  addition,  which  she 
would  understand  by  and  by." 

"  Why,  Miss  Anne,"  replied  Royal,  "  I  think 
it  is  very  easy^ 

"  It  may  be  easy  to  you,  now  you  understand 
it,  but  difficult  to  her,"  replied  Miss  Anne. 

"  Well,"  said  Royal,  "  then  I  won't  explp.lii 


THE    NEW    SLATE.  15 

that  to  you  now,  Lucy.     I'll  teach  you  what  car- 
ying  is  when  we  come  to  it." 

So  he  went  to  work,  to  set  Lucy  a  sura,  trying 
ID  make  the  figures  of  so  small  a  value,  that  there 
should  be  no  carrj'ing  in  any  column.  But  he 
did  not  succeed  very  well.  He  made  the  sums 
JO  large  that,  although  he  made  all  the  figures 
ones,  twos,  threes,  and  fjurs,  yet,  in  some  Oi 
the  columns,  the  amount,  on  adding  them,  would 
come  more  than  ten  ;  and  of  course  there  would 
oe  something  to  carry.  At  last,  however,  he 
succeeded  ;  and  then  he  began  to  teach  Lucy 
how  to  add  up. 

But  the  work  was  altogether  too  difficult  for 
Lucy's  powers.  In  the  first  place,  she  did  not 
know  the  figures,  and  she  could  not  remember 
which  was  two,  and  which  was  three.  Lucy 
tried  to  follow  him  in  his  explanation  and  calcu 
ation,  but  she  soon  became  hopelessly  perplexed 
and  discouraged. 

"  Two    and    two,"   said    Royal,    "  are    how 
many  ?  " 

"  Three,"  said  Lucy. 

"  No,"  said  Royal ;  "  four  ;  and  one  are  how 
many  ? " 

"  One  is  one,'  said  Lucy. 

"  jNo,"  said  Royal ;  "  one  makes  five." 


16  Lucy's  studies. 

"  One  makes  five  ? "  repeated  Lucy,  in  a  tone 
of  surprise. 

"Yes,"  said  Royal,  "one  and  four  make 
five." 

"  O,  you  did  not  say  one  and  four,"  replied 
Lucy  ;  "  you  said  one." 

"No,"  replied  Royal,  "one  and  four;  you 
see  we  got  four  by  adding  two  and  two.  Here 
they  are." 

So  saying,  Royal  pointed  to  the  figures  which 
he  had  been  adding. 

Lucy  did  not  know  a  two  fi"om  a  three  very 
well ;  so  she  put  her  head  down  close  to  the  slate, 
and  said,  in  a  gentle,  timid  voice,  — 

"  is  that  a  two  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Royal.  "  Let  us  see ;  where 
were  we  ?  We  added  up  to  three,  didn't  we  ? 
and  it  made  six,  didn't  it  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Lucy,  shaking  her  head. 

"  Yes,  it  was  six  ;  and  two  more  make  how 
many  ?  " 

"  Five  ? "  asked  Lucy,  timidly. 

"  No  mdeed,"  said  Royal ;  "  why,  Lucy,  you 
don't  know  how  to  count." 

"Yes  I  do,"  said  Lucy. 

"No  you  don't,"  said  Royal;  "you  don't 
know  how  to  count,  I  verily  believe." 


tHE   ^^EW    SLATfi.  It 

*'  Yes  I  do,"  said  Lucy. 

"  Well,  let's  hear  3'ou  count :  come,  begin." 

"  One,  two,  three,  four,"  said  Lucy,  and  so  far 
she  went  on  ver}'  well ;  hut  then  she  began  to 
hesitate,  —  "  four  —  five  —  nine  —  seven." 

Royal  burst  into  a  fit  of  laus:hter.  "  You 
don't  know  how  to  count,  Luc}',"  said  he  ;  "  and 
how  do  3'ou  think  I  can  teach  arithmetic  to  a  girl 
that  don't  know  how  to  count?  " 

"  Well,  then,  give  me  my  slate,"  said  Luc}^, 
"  and  I'll  go  awa}'."  So  she  took  her  slate,  and 
went  awa}'  out  of  the  room,  disappointed,  dis- 
couraged, and  sad. 

As  soon  as  she  had  gone,  Royal's  feelings  be- 
gan to  change  from  those  of  ridicule  to  a  senti- 
ment of  pit3\  He  sat  upon  the  sofa  silently 
musing,  when  Miss  Anne  terminated  the  pause 
by  saying,  — 

"  I  was  surprised  at  such  ignorance." 

"So  was  I,"  said  Roval.  "I  should  have 
thought  an}'  bod}'  would  have  known  that." 

'•  I  should  have  thought  so,  certainl}',"  said 
Miss  Anne. 

"  An}'  body  five  years  old,"  added  Royal. 

"Yes,"  said  Miss  Anne,  "  and  yet  you  are  ten." 

"  I?  "  said  Royal ;  "  yes,  I  am  ten,  but  Lucy 
is  only  five.'* 


IS  Lucy's   studiIjs. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Miss  Anne,  "  but  I  was  nol 
speaking  of  Lucy  ;  I  was  speaking  of  you." 

"  1  thought,"  rejoined  Royal,  "  that  you  were 
speaking  of  the  ignorance  Lucy  showed,  in  not 
knowing  how  to  count." 

"  O  no,"  said  Miss  Anne,  "  [  was  speaking  ol 
the  ignorance  you  showed." 

"  My  ignorance,"  said  Royal,  surprised.  "  1 
un  sure  I  added  it  riirht." 

"  I  think  it  very  likely  you  added  it  right," 
said  Miss  Anne ;  "  it  was  your  ignorance  of  human 
nature,  1  was  speaking  of,  not  your  ignorance  of 
aruhmetic." 

"  Of  human  nature  ? "  repeated  Royal. 

"  Yes ;  to  think  that  you  could  teach  Lucy 
arithmetic  in  that  way." 

"  Why,  I  thought  that  that  was  the  way,"  said 
Royal. 

"No,"  said  Miss  Anne,  "you  began  at  the 
end,  instead  of  at  the  beginning." 

"  How  ? "  said  Royal. 

"  Why,  you  undertook  to  teach  her  to  add  cer- 
tain sums,  and  you  took  such  sums,  as  difficult  as 
!t  was  possible  to  make,  and  got  out  of  humor 
with  her  because  she  could  not  do  them  at  once." 

"  O  Miss  Anne,  they  were  not  as  difficult  as 
could  be  made." 


THE    NEW    SLATE.  19 

*'  Yes,"  replied  Miss  Anne,  "  they  were,  I  pre- 
sume, as  difficult  sums  as  you  could  make,  with- 
out having  any  carrying.  In  fact,  the  fii'st  at- 
tempts  which  you  made  to  set  sums,  you  got  the 
figures  so  many,  and  of  so  high  value,  that  you 
couldn't  add  them  without  carrying ;  so  you  re- 
duced them  by  little  and  little,  until  you  just  got 
the  figures  barely  small  enough  to  make  the 
amount  less  than  ten  ;  and  thus  you  made  the 
sums  as  difficult  as  they  could  be  made,  without 
carrying ;  and  this  you  gave  her  for  her  first 
lesson.  The  thing  which  you  were  to  come  to  in 
the  end,  you  took  as  the  beginning. 

"  Then,  besides  this,  I  think  you  were  unrea- 
sonable in  being  dissatisfied  with  her.  When 
your  mother  promised  you  a  paint-box,  if  you 
would  teach  her  to  add  such  sums,  was  it  reason- 
able to  expect  that  she  could  know  how  to  do  it 
already  ? " 

"  Why  —  no,"  said  Royal,  hesitatingly. 

"  And  yet  you  did  expect  it.  You  were  em 
ployed  to  go  over  a  process  with  her,  which 
would  end  in  her  knowing  how  to  do  a  certain 
thing ;  and  then  you  were  vexed  and  out  of 
humor  with  her,  for  not  knowing  how  to  do  the 
thing  at  the  outset,  before  you  had  gone  ovei  triP 
process  at  all." 


IC  Lucy's  studies. 

"  Why,  I  wasn't  ou ;  of  humor,  Miss  Anne/ 
said  Royal. 

"  1  thought  you  were,"  replied  Miss  Anne ,  "  al 
any  rate,  you  spoke  unkindly  to  her,  and  wounded 
her  feelings." 

Here  there  was  a  pause.  Royal  was  really 
sorry  for  what  he  had  done.  He  saw  very 
clearly  the  unreasonableness  and  folly  of  it.  But 
he  did  not  know  exactly  what  to  do. 

"  Well,  Miss  Anne,"  said  he  at  length,  "how 
should  you  have  managed  it  ?  " 

"  I,"  replied  Miss  Anne,  "  should  have  begun 
at  the  beginning,  instead  of  at  the  end." 

"  And  how  would  you  have  begun  at  the  be- 
ginning ?  " 

"  Why,  1  saould  have  first  ascertained  exactly 
where  Lucy  was,  in  her  knowledge  of  figures, 
and  then  I  should  have  gone  to  her  there,  and 
led  her  along  by  plain  and  easy  steps  to  where  I 
wanted  her  to  go.  You  must  know  that  teaching 
is  a  kind  of  ladder-making." 

"  Ladder-making  ?  "  repeated  Royal. 

"Yes,"  replied  Miss  Anne;  "that  is,  it  con- 
sists in  preparing  a  succession  of  steps  for  the 
pupil  to  mount  by,  and  the  success  of  it  depends 
upon  beginning  upon  the  ground,  or  wherever  the 
pupil   is,  and  then  having   the  steps  so  near  lo- 


THE    iVEW    SLATE.  21 

gether,  that  she  can  ascend  from  one  to  the  otVier, 
and  so  get  up.  Now,  you  did  not  even  stop  to 
hiquire  where  Lucy  was  in  her  knowledge,  much 
less  to  make  any  ladder  for  her;  but  you  remained 
upon  the  top  of  the  house,  and  tried  to  drag  her 
up  by  main  force." 

Royal  laughed  at  Miss  Anne's  singular  met- 
aphor. 

"  Now,  1  should  have  thought,"  continued  Miss 
Ann^,  "  that  the  first  thing  would  have  been,  lo 
teach  Lucy  the  figures,  at  least  as  many  of  theia 
as  vou  are  corner  to  use  in  the  sums.  This  alone 
will  take  several  lessons.  Then  I  should  set  hei 
some  very  small  sums,  with  only  ones  in  them, 
and  let  her  add  those.  Then  1  should  set  some 
more  sums,  and  put  in  a  two  here  and  there,  and 
let  her  practise  a  day  or  two  upon  those.  Then 
1  should  put  one  or  two  threes  into  her  sums,  and 
have  the  rest  ones.  After  that  I  should  put  threes 
and  twos  both  in  ;  and  thus,  after  a  time,  she 
would  get  so  as  to  add  such  sums  as  you  set  hsr 
just  now." 

"  All  that  would  take  a  great  while,"  said 
Royal. 

"  Yes,''  replied  Miss  Anne  ;  "  teaching  is  slow 
work  ;  but  then  it  would  not  take  so  lon2  as  it 
would  to  make  a  paint-box." 


22  LUCY'b    STUDIES. 


n 


"  No,"  replied  Royal,  "  It  would  not.' 

"  I  suppose  you  expected  that  you  could  sit 
down  and  earn  your  paint-box  in  half  an  hour, 
and  by  one  single  lesson." 

"  Why  not  exactly  in  one  lesson,"  said  Royal. 

"  In  one  or  two  then,"  said  Miss  Anne  ;  '•  where- 
as you  ought  to  calculate  that  it  will  take 
twenty." 

Royal  said  no  more  upon  the  subject  at  this 
time  ;  but  he  detemiined  to  try  the  plan  whici: 
Miss  Anne  had  recommended. 


23 


CHAPTER    11 

A  WAGON  RIDE 

The  next  diy,  after  Royal  had  finished  hia 
own  studies,  he  wanted  Lucy  to  come  and  learn 
arithnietic.  But  Lucy  did  not  like  to  come. 
She  wanted  to  play  just  then,  and,  besides,  al- 
though she  did  not  recall  to  mind,  very  distinctly, 
the  manner  in  which  Royal  had  attempted  to 
.each  her  the  evening  before,  yet  the  occurrence 
left  an  unpleasant  impression  upon  her  mind,  and 
she  was  not  disposed  to  put  herself  under  his  in- 
structions again. 

"  But,  then,"  said  Royal,  "  you  can't  have  a 
paint-box." 

"  Well,"  said  Lucy,  "  I  don't  care  much." 

After  a  little  pause,  while  Royal  was  thinking 
what  other  inducement  he  could  offer,  he  said,  — - 

"  Well,  Lucy,  if  you  will  study  a  lesson  in  arith- 
metic, I  will  give  you  a  good  ride." 

He  meant  that  he  would  give  her  a  ride  in  a 
little  wagon,  which  was  bought  for  Lucy  when 
she  was  too  young  to  walk,  and  which  bad  been 


24  Lucy  s     riTDiEs. 

kept  with  so  much  care  that  It  was  still  a  very 
good    wagon.     Royal    used  sometimes    to   Jraw 
Lucy  in  this  wagon,  and  she  liked  to  ride    n 
very  much. 

"  Well,"  said  Lucy,  "  how  Icir  will  you  give 
me  a  ride  ?  " 

"  O,  I  will  give  you  a  good  long  ride,"  said 
Royal.    '•'  I  will  draw  you  away  over  to  Rollo's." 

Lucy's  cousin  RoUo,  who  was  at  this  time  a 
very  small  boy,  lived  at  not  a  great  distance,  and 
Royal  and  Lucy  sometimes  went  over  to  play 
with  him.  So  they  made  the  agreement,  that 
Royal  was  to  di'aw  Lucy  over  to  Rollo's  and 
Lucy  was  to  learn  a  lesson  in  arithmetic.  But 
then  there  unmediately  arose  a  difficulty  in  de- 
termining which  should  take  place  first,  the  lide 
or  the  lesson.  Royal  wanted  to  have  the  lesson 
then,  and  the  ride  some  other  time;  but  Lucy 
wanted  to  make  sure  of  the  ride,  and  so  postpone 
the  lesson. 

"  Why,  the  rule  is,  Lucy,"  said  Royal,  "  al- 
ways to  pay  when  the  work  is  done.  I'll  pay 
you  for  the  lesson  when  you  have  studied  it." 

"  No,"  said  Lucy,  "  the  ride  is  the  work.  I'll 
pay  you  for  the  ride  when  I  have  had  it.'* 

Royal  thought  that  the  lesson  ought  to  be  con- 
sidered tl^  work,  and  the  ride  the  pay ;  but  ne 


A    WAGON    RIDE 


25 


couldn't  think  of  any  good  reason  to  offer  for  this 
opinion,  and  he  therefore,  after  some  hesitation, 
came  to  Lucy's  terms.  They  brought  out  Lucy's 
wagon,  and,  after  obtaining  permission  ol  their 
mother,  lie  helped  Lucy  into  it,  and  tlien,  he 
acting  the  part  of  horse,  and  Lucy  that  of  driver, 
they  went  over  to  their  cousin  Rollo's. 

They  went  into  a  yard  where  there  was  a 
gravel  walk,  which  led  them  around  behind  the 
house.  Here  they  found  RoUo  sitting  upon  a 
bench  near  the  door,  trying  to  read  in  a  picture- 
book.  He  had  not  learned  to  read  much  yet. 
The  door  was  open,  and  there  were  a  couple  of 
bars  across  the  door-way,  pretty  low  down  ;  and 
behind  them  was  a  little  child,  not  old  enough 
to  walk,  who  was  kept  from  falling  out  into  the 
yard  by  the  bars.  This  was  Rollo's  little  brother 
Nathan. 

By  the  time  that  Royal  had  arrived  at  Rollo's 
house,  he  had  become  quite  interested  in  drawing 
Ijucy  in  the  wagon,  and  had  forgotten  his  desire 
to  teach  her  a  lesson  in  arithmetic.    So  he  said,  — 

"  Lucy,  if  Rollo  will  go  with  us,  I'll  draw  you 
Girther.  Come,  Rollo,"  said  he,  "  come  and  play 
travel  with  us.     I'll  pull,  and  you  push  behind." 

"  No,"  said  Rollo,  "  1  can't  go ; "  I  must  stay 
and  take  care  of  Nathan." 
3 


26  ^    lttcy's  studies. 

Royal  and  Lucy  looked  at  Nathan.  He  was 
standing  behind  his  bars,  striking  the  upper  one 
with  a  stick,  evidently  pleased  with  the  rattling, 
but  paying  no  attention  to  the  discussion  which 
was  going  on  among  the  other  children. 

'•'  Let  Nathan  go  with  us,"  said  Royal. 

"  No  "  said  Rollo,  shaking  his  head  ;  "  I  don't 
think  my  mother  will  let  him." 

"  Yes  she  will,"  said  Royal ;  "  Lucy  will  get  out, 
and  let  him  get  into  the  wagon,  and  then  you  and 
Lucy  shall  be  the  horses,  and  I  will  be  the  driver." 

Rollo  still  thought  that  his  mother  would  not 
be  willing  to  let  Nathan  go.  However,  he  said 
that  he  would  go  and  ask  her. 

Rollo's  mother  came  out,  and  said, — 

"  Well,  Royal,  I  hardly  know  what  to  say  to 
our  plan.       Do  you  think  you  can  take   good 
care  of  Nathan  ?  " 

"  O  yes,  aunt,"  said  Royal ;  "  we  will  be  very 
careful  indeed." 

After  some  hesitation,  Nathan's  mother  con 
sented  to  let  them  go.  She  said  that  she  shoul  ] 
put  Nathan  under  Royal's  special  charge.  So 
she  put  a  sort  of  a  cloak  upon  his  shoulders,  and  a 
cap  upon  his  head,  and  put  him  into  the  wagon 
Lucy  and  Rollo  then  took  hold  of  the  ton  true 
of  the    wagon,    to   draw,    while    Royal    pushed 


A    WAGON    RIDE.  27 

behind  ^  and  so  they  sallied  forth  from  the  yard, 
Rollo's  mother  standing  at  the  door,  to  watch 
them  as  they  went  along.  Just  as  they  passed 
around  the  comer  of  the  house,  she  gave  them 
her  last  charges ;  which  were  to  keep  in  the 
smooth  road,  and  to  be  very  careful  about  turning. 

The  children,  promising  to  obey  these  instruc- 
tions, passed  on  around  the  corner,  and  turned 
into  the  road. 

They  went  on  for  some  distance,  without  any 
difficulty  or  trouble.  At  last,  they  came  to  a 
place  where  a  road  branched  off  from  the  main 
road,  and  led  into  the  woods.  They  turned  into 
this  road,  for  Royal  said  that  it  led  to  a  place 
where  they  could  get  some  flowers.  Both  Rollo 
and  Lucy  said  they  should  like  this  very  much, 
for  they  wanted  to  have  some  flowers.  Rollo 
said  that  he  was  going  to  study  botany  ;  his  moth- 
er was  going  to  teach  him. 

'- 1  wish  I  could  study  botany,"  said  Lucy  ;  "  1 
should  like  botany  a  great  deal   better  than  arith 
metic." 

"  Well,"  said  Royal,  "  1  can  teach  you." 

"  O  Royal,"  said  Lucy,  "  you  don't  know  how 
to  study  botany." 

"  Yes,  I  do,"  said  Royal.  "  The  first  thing  is  to 
itndy  the  leaves  ;  you  must  gather  all  the  diflfer- 


28  Lucy's  studies. 

ent  kinds  of  leaves  you  can  find,  and  press  them 
in  a  book." 

"  What  good  does  that  do  ?  "  said  Lucy. 

"  O,  then  you  know  how  many  different  shapes 
of  leaves  there  are,"  he  replied. 

Rollo  had  put  his  picture-book  into  the  wagon, 
just  before  they  had  set  out  fi-om  the  house, 
thinking  that  perhaps  they  might  stop  at  some 
place,  where  he  would  want  to  look  at  it.  So  he 
asked  Royal  if  his  picture-book  would  do  to  put 
the  leaves  into,  and  Royal  said  it  would  do  very 
well.  And  they  all  determined  that,  after  they 
had  gone  a  little  farther,  they  would  stop  and  get 
some  leaves  by  the  side  of  the  road. 

They  were  now  in  a  sort  of  by-road,  leading 
through  the  woods  ;  but  presently  they  came  to  a 
kind  of  cart  path,  which  turned  out  to  one  side, 
and  seemed  to  lead  to  places  still  more  solitary 
than  where  they  were.  Royal  wanted  to  turn  off 
into  this  cart  path. 

"  It  will  be  a  beautiful  place  to  study  botany, 
in  there,"  said  he. 

"  No,''  said  Rollo,  "  we  must  not  go  in  there  , 
for  mother  said  that  we  must  keep  in  smooth 
roads." 

"Well,"  replied  Royal,  "that  is  a  smooth 
road.     It  is  iust  as  smooth  as  tliis  " 


A  WaGon  ride. 


g^ 


Ro)  al  and  Lucy  looked  in.  The  road  was  in- 
deed smooth,  but  then  it  was  narrow,  and  Rollo  did 
not  know  into  what  difficulties  it  might  lead  thciii, 
He  was  quite  reluctant  to  go  in.  But  Royal 
assured  him  that  there  was  no  danger;  and  he 
said,  also,  that,  if  they  should  find  any  rough 
places  after  they  had  got  in  some  way,  they 
f  ould  easily  turn  around  and  come  out. 

So  Rollo  consented,  and  they  turned  off  into 
the  cart  path. 

After  they  had  gone  m  for  some  distance. 
Royal  said  that  they  had  got  to  a  good  place  to  col- 
lect leaves.  So  Lucy  and  Rollo  put  the  tongue  of 
the  wa^on  down  in  the  road,  and  went  to  the 
banks  on  each  side,  and  began  to  gather  the 
leaves  from  the  various  wild  plants  which  were 
growing  there.  These  leaves  were  of  all  shapes : 
some  were  long  and  pointed,  others  oval,  others 
nearly  round  ;  some  were  shaped  like  a  heart, 
some  notched  alono-  the  edcjes  like  a  saw,  and 
one  which  Royal  got  down  from  an  oak-tree, 
Lucy  said,  wasn't  shaped  like  any  thing  at  all. 

While  they  were  collecting  these  leaves,  Lucy 
suddenly  called  out  to  Rollo,  who  was  upon  the 
side  of  the  road  with  her,  — 

"  O  Rollo,  Rollo,  come  here !  here  is  a  little 
squirrel  !  come  and  see  him."  — 


30  LUCY^S    STUDIES. 

"  Where  ?  where  ?  "  said  Rollo,  running  to* 
wards  the  place ;  "  let  me  see  ;  let  me  see." 

Royal,  hearing  this  call,  immediately  dropped  a 
large  collection  of  leaves  and  flowers,  which  he 
nad  gathered,  and  ran  across  the  road.  When  he 
first  got  sight  of  the  squirrel,  he  was  standing  upon 
his  hind  legs  on  the  end  of  a  half-decayed  log, 
holding  a  nut  between  his  fore  paws,  which  he  nib- 
bled a  little  from  time  to  time,  keeping,  however, 
a  sharp  lookout  upon  the  children  all  the  while. 

"  I'll  catch  him  in  my  cap,"  said  he. 

In  the  mean  time,  little  Nathan,  who  had  been 
left  in  his  wagon  in  the  path-way,  and  who  was 
'  yet  too  young  to  appreciate  the  pleasure  and 
the  utility  of  making  botanical  collections,  began 
to  make  a  sort  of  murmuring  sound,  which  indi 
cated  restlessness  and  discontent. 

"  Yes,  Nathan,"  said  Rollo,  calling  out  to  him 
"  we'll  come  in  a  minute." 

Royal  crept  up  sofdy  towards  the  squirrel,  with 
his  cap  in  the  air,  ready  to  make  him  prisoner 
Rollo  and  Lucy  looked  on  with  great  interest, 
while  Nathan,  who  had  not  yet  learned  to  place 
much  confidence  in  promises,  seemed  still  more 
jneasy.  The  squirrel  stuffed  the  remains  of  his 
nut  into  his  cheek,  leaped  off  the  log,  and  vm 
along  upor   the  ground. 


A    WAGON    RIDE.  31 

'  You  go  and  take  care  of  Nathan,"  said  Roy- 
al, "  and  I'll  run  and  catch  the  squuTel.  You  can 
go  and  help  him,  Lucy." 

"  But  we  want  to  see  you  catch  the  squirrel," 
said  Lucy. 

"  O,  never  mind  that,"  said  Royal,  looking  back 
towards  them,  and  speaking  m  a  hurried  manner, 
as  he  crept  along  after  the  squirrel ;  ''  1  shall  have 
to  chase  him  ever  so  far,  and  you  can't  keep  up  ; 
but  you  shall  have  a  share  in  him  just  the  same, 
when  I  catch  him.  So  run  back  and  take  care 
of  Nathan." 

Thus  urged,  the  two  children  went  back  to  the 
road,  while  Royal  went  on  in  pursuit  of  the 
squirrel.  Lucy  and  Rollo  showed  Nathan  their 
leaves  and  flowers,  and  gave  him  a  large  lily  to 
pull  to  pieces.  By  these  means  they  had  just 
succeeded  in  getting  him  quiet  and  amused,  when 
Rollo  saw  a  cow  walking  slowly  along  the  path, 
towards  the  place  where  they  and  the  wagon 
were  standing.  This  threw  the  children  into  a 
state  of  great  alarm ;  for,  although  the  cnw  was 
really  innocent  of  any  bad  design,  the  children 
thought  they  saw  in  her  countenance  a  very 
determined  and  threatening  expression.  Tliey 
thought  she  was  coming  to  bite  them,  or  ai  least 
that  she  would  certainly  run  over  Nathan 


'A2  ,  1  JCy's    STLTDIES. 

Rollo's  first  design  was,  lo  look  around  for  a 
stick,  and  drive  her  aw  ay,  which,  on  the  whole., 
would  have  been  the  most  judicious  plan.  But 
L"iXy,  beino;  a  girl,  was  naturally  more  inclined  to 
retreat  than  to  give  battle ;  and  she  called  upon 
Rollo  to  help  her  draw  the  wagon  out  of  the  road, 
so  as  to  give  tlie  cow  the  0})portunity  to  get  by. 
They  accordingly  took  hold  of  the  tongue  of  the 
wagon,  and,  turning  it  short  round,  began  to  pull 
hard  upon  it,  to  get  their  little  charge  out  of  the 
danger. 

In  their  eagerness  and  trepidation,  however, 
they  turned  the  tongue  too  short  about,  so  as  tc 
lock  one  of  the  fore  wheels  under  the  wagon,  and 
then,  as  very  often  happens  under  such  circum- 
stances, by  the  violence  of  their  effort  the  wagon 
was  upset ;  and  Nathan,  the  fragments  of  the 
lily,  the  picture-book,  and  the  cushion  on  which 
Nathan  had  been  seated,  all  rolled  out  together 
upon  the  ground.  The  cow  paid  no  attention 
whatever  to  their  terror  and  distress,  but  walked 
by  very  deliberately  on  the  other  side. 

Nathan  was  not  hurt.  He  looked  a  little  wild 
when  they  took  him  up,  and  even  began  to  cry 
a  little  ;  but  Lucy  soon  hushed  him,  silting  down 
upon  the  bank,  and  holding  him  in  her  lap,  while 
Rollo  set  the  wagon  up  again,  and  replaced  the 


A    WAGON    RIDE.  35 

ihmgs  which  had  been  thrown  out.  Then,  while 
Lucy  continued  to  amuse  Nathan,  Rollo  went  to 
see  if  he  could  find  Royal. 

After  going  on  for  some  distance,  he  found  him 
returning  slowly,  with  his  cap  upon  his  head,  anrt 
a  stran  ore-looking  thin  or  in  his  hand. 

"  Have  you  caught  him  ?  "  said  Rollo. 

"  Caught  what  ?  "  said  Royal. 

"  The  squirrel,"  replied  Rollo. 

"•'  O  —  no,"  said  Royal,  "  but  I  have  got  a 
most  curious-looking  thing  here." 

"What  is  it?"  said  Rollo. 

"  A  kind  of  a    fungus,"  replied    Royal.     "  J 
found  it  D-fowino-  on  a  tree." 

Royal  showed  Rollo  the  fungus,  and  he  thought 
it  was  a  very  curious  thing  indeed.  Then  Rollo 
told  him  the  story  of  the  accident  which  had  hap- 
pened in  the  cart  path.  Royal  was  somewhat 
alarmed  at  this,  and  he  hastened  to  the  place.  He 
feJt  somewhat  condemned  for  having  gone  away 
and  left  his  charge  in  the  hands  of  such  guardian? 
as  Rollo  and  Lucy,  ?.nd  so  he  very  assiduously 
helped  them  replace  Nathan  in  his  wagon,  and  tuni 
It  round.  The  leaves  which  they  had  collected 
were  all  scattered  upon  the  ground ;  even  those 
which  had  been  put  into  tlie  picture-book  had 
fallen  out  when  the   wao  n   had  been  upset:  '^ » 


36  Lucy's  studies. 

that,  when  the  children  had  got  nearly  home, 
they  recollected  that  they  had  left  their  whole 
botanical  collection  behind  them.  And  this  was 
the  end  of  Lucy's  attempts  to  pursue  the  study 
of  botany,  for  several  years. 


87 


CHAPTER   III. 

THE  MAGAZINE. 

Neither  Royal  nor  Lucy  thought  any  thing 
more  of  their  arithmetic  for  several  days.  Lucy's 
slate  got  put  up  upon  a  shelf  in  the  closet,  and 
was  entirel}'  forgotten.  One  daj^,  however,  when 
RoUo  and  Lucy  were  walking  in  a  little  lane  by 
the  side  of  the  garden,  they  found  a  beautiful 
flower,  growing  near  a  large,  flat  stone. 

"  O,  what  a  beautiful  blue  flower ! "  said  Lucy. 

"  Yes,"  said  Royal ;  "  give  it  to  me." 

*'  No,"  said  Lucy,  "  I  want  to  carry  it  home 
to  my  mother." 

"  O,  mother  won't  care  about  it,"  said  Royal ; 
"  give  it  to  me,  and  I  will  press  it  in  a  book." 

*'No,"  said  Lucy. 

"  And  then,"  continued  Roj^al,  "  we  can  draw 
a  cop3'  of  it,  and  paint  it." 

"  We  haven't  got  our  paint-box  yet,"  said 
Lucy. 

"  No,  we  haven't,"  said  Royal,  **  And  that's 
4 


3{:r  LucT'i   studies. 

because  I  haven't  finished  teaching  }ou  arithmetic. 
Come,  let  us  go  and  take  a  lesson  now." 

Lucy,  however,  was  not  much  "ncHned  to  take 
her  lesson.  After  some  conversation,  however, 
Royal,  finding  that  T^ucy  had  no  inclination  to 
study  arithmetic  at  all,  and  reflecting  that  this 
aversion  was  his  own  fault,  concluded  ty»at  ne 
must  win  her  back  again  to  the  work  by  dexter- 
ous Hfianagement. 

So  he  said,  — 

"  Well,  Lucy,  I'll  tell  you  what  we  will  do. 
We'll  carry  this  blue  flower  to  the  house,  and  I'll 
make  a  drawing  of  it  upon  your  slate." 

"  So  we  will,"  said  Lucy.  In  fact,  she  was 
very  much  pleased  with  this  plan ;  and  the 
two  children  set  off  accordingly  for  the  house,  to 
make  the  drawing.  After  some  search,  they 
found  the  slate,  but  the  pencil  was  gone.  Royal, 
however,  had  a  pencil  of  his  own,  in  a  litde  box, 
which  he  kept  under  a  sky-light  in  the  garret, 
and  he  and  Lucy  went  up  into  the  garret  in  pur- 
suit of  it. 

This  box,  or  chest.  —  for  it  was  properly  a  smaV 
chest,  —  was  the  place  where  Royal  kept  a  con 
siderable  number  of  his  old  playthings,  especially 
such  as  were  somewhat  out  of  use.     He  cal  ed  i 


THE    MAGAZINE.  39 

his  magazine.  His  fatlier  had  told  iiim  that  a 
magazine  was  a  place  where  people  kept  things 
m  store ;  and  so  he  thought  that  magazine  would 
oe  a  good  name  for  this  depository  of  his. 

Royal  lifted  up  the  lid  of  his  magazine,  and 
there,  among  a  great  number  of  other  things, 
there  was  a  small  pasteboard  box,  without  a 
cover.  In  this  box  were  several  slate  and  lead 
pencils,  wafers,  and  pieces  of  India  rubber ;  also 
the  handle  of  a  knife,  and  one  half  of  a  pair  of 
scissors.  Royal  called  it  his  scissor.  He  said  he 
meant  one  day  to  grind  the  blade  down  to  an  edge, 
and  then  it  would  make  a  good  knife,  which  he 
neant  to  call  his  scissor-knife.  Lucy  wanted  to 
look  at  it,  and  at  a  great  many  other  curious 
tilings,  which  she  saw  in  the  magazine ;  but  Roy- 
al said  no,  and,  putting  down  the  lid  of  the  chest, 
after  he  had  taken  out  the  pencil,  he  sat  down 
upon  it,  and  asked  Lucy  to  sit  down  by  his 
side. 

He  immediately  began,  according  to  his  prom- 
ise, to  draw  Lu'^y  the  picture  of  the  flower.    First 
he  made  the  stem,  then  a  little  root  at  the  bottom 
of  it,  then  a  few  long,  slender  leaves  growing  cu 
around  the  stalk,  and  finally  the  flower. 

The  flower  was  the  most   difficult   part;  but 


40  LUCY  £     STUDIES. 

Royal  succeeded  in  representing  it  to  Ixicy's 
entire  satisfaction ;  and,  when  he  had  finished  it* 
he  said,  — 

"  Now,  Lucy,  that  we  are  here,  you'd  bettei 
iet  me  teach  you  one  of  the  figures.  I'll  jusl 
teach  you  the  figure  one ;  that's  very  easy.  It's 
nothing  but  a  mark." 

So  Royal  made  a  mark  upon  the  slate  for  the 
figure  one,  and  then  put  the  pencil  into  Lucy's 
hands,  that  she  might  attempt  to  imitate  it.  Lucy 
made  a  mark  as  nearly  as  she  could  like  Royal's, 
only  It  was  a  great  deal  too  long. 

"  That's  very  well,  Lucy,"  said  Royal,  "  very 
well  indeed  for  the  first,  only  it  isn't  necessary  to 
make  it  quite  so  long.  You  must  make  the  next 
one  shorter." 

Lucy  accordingly  made  another ;  and  she 
stopped  sooner  than  she  had  done  before,  so  as 
to  make  the  mark  shorter  than  she  had  done 
at  first.  Royal  said  it  was  a  very  good  one 
indeed.  Lucy,  finding  that  Royal,  instead  of 
upbraiding  or  ridiculing  her,  was  pleased  and 
satisfied  with  her  attempts,  began  to  feel  grat- 
ified herself;  and  she  said  that  she  should  like 
much  to  make  some  more  07ies ;  and  Royal  ac- 
cordingly   told    her    to   make    a   row    of    theio 


THE    MAGAZINE.  41 

quite  across  tne  slate  near  the  top.  She  made 
them,  on  the  whole,  very  well,  though  some  of 
them  were  crooked. 

"  It  IS  veiy  hard  to  make  straight  letters," 
said  she. 

"  Straight  figures,  you  mean,"  said  Royal. 

'*  Yes,"  said  Lucy,  "  straight  figures.  Crooked 
figures  are  much  easier  to  make.  I  can  make 
a  three.     I'm  going  to  make  a  three." 

"  No,"  said  Royal,  "  two  comes  next." 

"  I  don't  care,"  said  Lucy ;  "  I  can't  make  a 
two,  but  I  can  make  a  three,  and  so  I  am  going 
to  make  that  next." 

"  No,"  said  Royal,  "  you  mustn't  make  a  three 
next ;  that  is  out  of  order.  Besides,  I  am  your 
teacher,  and  you  must  mind  me." 

"  No,"  said  Lucy,  "  I  am  going  to  make  what 
]  choose." 

Royal  and  Lucy  were  both  wrong  in  this  dis- 
cussion. 

Lucy  was  wrong,  for  the  last  of  the  reasons 
which  Royal  assigned,  namely,  that  he  was  her 
teacher,  and  therefore  she  ought  to  have  obeyed 
him.  The  first  of  Royal's  reasons,  however,  was 
not  valid,  —  namely,  that,  because  two  comes 
before  three  in  numeration,  therefore  it  ought  to 
be  made  first.  The  successive  steps  of  a  study 
4^" 


42  LUCr's    STUDIES. 

ought  to  be  taken  in  their  natural  order,  when  one 
depends  upon  another.  For  instance,  a  child 
ought  to  learn  how  to  subtract  before  undertaking 
to  learn  how  to  divide,  for  division  depends  upon 
subtraction.  You  cannot  well  divide  without 
subtracting.  But  in  merely  learning  the  forms  of 
the  figures,  there  is  no  dependence  of  one  upon 
the  other,  and  therefore  they  may  be  taught  in 
any  order  which  the  teacher  thinks  best. 

Therefore,  if  Royal,  who  was  the  teacher,  had 
thought  It  best  to  have  taught  Lucy  to  make  the 
figure  nine,  or  eight,  or  the  cipher,  next  to  one, 
because  he  supposed  that  those  charactei^s  would 
be  more  easy  for  Lucy  to  form,  it  would  not 
have  been  at  all  improper;  and  therefore  his 
argument,  that  two  ought  to  be  made  next  to 
one,  simply  because  it  comes  next  to  it  as  a 
number,  was  not  a  valid  argument.  But  his 
second  reason  was  valid ;  for  it  is  always  the 
duty  of  a  pupil  to  follow  the  directions  of  the 
teacher,  whether  the  pupil  approves  of  the  direc- 
tions or  not. 

But,  then,  although  Lucy  did  very  wrong  in 
resisting  and  disobeying  the  will  of  her  teacher, 
Royal  himself  acted  very  unwisely,  in  being  so 
strenuous  in  requiring  a  compliance  with  it.  His 
whole  hope  of  success  in  his  efforts  to  teach  his 


THE    MAGAZINE,  4S 

SLster,  and  so  to  gain  the  paint-box,  depended 
necessai'ily  upon  keeping  on  good  terms  with  her, 
and  makino;  her  willinp;  to  follow  hi-s  instructions. 
If  Miss  Anne  had  been  in  Royal's  place,  she 
would  not  have  had  any  contention  with  her 
upon  the  subject.  She  would  have  allowed  hei 
to  make  the  three  next,  and  then,  after  the  lesson 
was  over,  she  would  have  said,  perhaps,  — 

"  Now,  Lucy,  you  have  been  a  prett)  good 
scholar.  You  have  obeyed  my  directions  very 
well  generally,  and  I  am  therefore  goin.'r  to 
let  you  see  the  things  in  my  magazine.  '  )nly 
there  was  one  time  that  you  didn't  obey  me. 
When  1  wanted  you  to  make  twos,  you  vould 
make  threes,  and  so  1  can't  let  you  see  all  the 
things  in  my  magazine.  There  are  some  little 
pictures  in  a  pocket-book,  which  I  cannot  let  you 
see  ;  but  the  next  time  you  study,  if  you  obe)  me 
perfectly,  then  I  will  let  you  see  the  picture?  in 
my  pocket-book." 

Or,  if  Miss  Anne  had  thought  that  this  would 
have  made  Lucy  cry,  and  so  have  been  the  cause 
of  making  disturbance  in  the  family,  then  she  would 
have  had  some  slighter  punishment,  just  enough 
not  to  make  her  cry.  She  did  so  once,  when 
Lucy  was  younger  and  more  ready  to  cry.  She 
was  taking  a  walk  with  her,  and  Lucy  did  not 


44  Lucy's  studies. 

eome  back  quick  when  she  called  hei  away  ^'om 
the  shore  of  a  brook.  Accordingly,  when  :hey 
were  going  home,  and  Lucy  asked  Miss  Anne  to 
tell  her  a  story.  Miss  Anne  said,  — 

*'  A  short  or  a  long  one  ? " 

"  O,  a  long  one,"  said  Lucy. 

"  Well,"  replied  Miss  Anne,  "  I  will  tell  you  a 
pretty  long  one,  because  you  have  obeyed  me 
pretty  well  while  we  have  been  walking ;  but  I 
cannot  tell  you  a  very  long  one,  because  you  did 
not  obey  me  all  the  time."  By  always  doing 
something  like  this.  Miss  Anne  soon  succeeded  in 
making  Lucy  disposed  to  obey  her  at  all  times. 

Royal,  however,  by  his  opposition  to  Lucy's 
desire,  only  disturbed  and  ruffled  her  mind,  and 
made  her  less  inclined  to  comply  with  his  wishes 
on  the  next  occasion  which  might  occur.  And,  in 
fact,  another  occasion  came  very  soon. 

For  it  happened  that  Lucy,  in  making  her 
figure  three,  reversed  the  form  of  it,  so  as  to  have 
the  open  part  come  to  the  right,  instead  of  to  the 
left,  as  it  ought  to  do.  Children  very  often  make 
this  mistake,  when  they  first  attempt  to  form  the 
figure  three.  Royal,  seeing  the  figure  wiich 
she  made,  began  immediately  to  laugh  ai  it 
This  disturbed  Lucy's  mind  more  than  what  had 


THE    MAGAZINE.  45 

taken  place  before.     She  looked  U[   .o  Royal  as 
if  wondering  what  he  was  laughing  at,  and  said,  — • 

"  You  needn't  laugh,  Royal  ;  that  is  a  three  " 

"  No,  it  isn't  a  three,"  said  Royal. 

"  I  tell  you  it  is  a  three,"  replied  Lucy.  '  Miss 
Anne  showed  me  how  to  make  it  one  day." 

"  O  Lucy,"  said  Royal,  "  Miss  Anne  nevei 
made  such  a  three  as  that  in  her  life.  That  is 
an  E." 

In  fact,  the  letter  E  is  often  made,  in  writing,  Oi 
very  much  such  a  form  as  Lucy's  reversed  figure 
assumed ;  but  Lucy  msisted  that  it  was  right,  ana 
that  she  meant  to  make  a  whole  row  of  them. 
Royal,  who  now  began  to  feel  somewhat  out  of 
humor  himself,  lost  sight  entirely  of  the  principle 
with  which  he  had  begun,  of  making  amends  foi 
his  former  roughness  by  kind  and  dexterous  man- 
agement. He  insisted  that  Lucy  should  let  him 
iiave  the  pencil,  and  he  would  show  her  how  the 
fio-ure  ouo-ht  to  be  made.  But  she  would  not ;  she 
said  that  she  knew  that  that  way  was  right,  and 
she  was  o-oincr  to  make  a  whole  row  of  them. 

Then  Royal  said  that  she  should  not  have  his 
pencil  any  more,  for  he  wouldn't  have  his  pencil 
used  to  make  such  ridiculous  threes  as  those  were, 
whicii,  as  he  said,  looked  like  threes  turned  wrong 
side  out.     So  Lucy  gave  him  his  pencil,  and  got 


46  Lucy's  studies. 

up  from  the  chest,  and  walked  away  down  stairs 
Koyal  remained  beliind,  to  put  his  pencil  back 
into  his  box.  Then  he  be^an  to  look  over  and 
rearrange  the  various  articles  which  were  stored 
m  his  magazine.  He  found  the  wheels  and  bodv 
of  a  small  wagon,  and  he  went  to  work  to  put  then 
together;  and  he  remained  occupied  in  this  work 
for  nearly  half  an  hour. 

Before  this  time  had  expired,  however,  he  had 
opportunity  to  reflect  upon  his  conversation  with 
Lucy,  and  he  saw  diat  he  had  not  managed 
wisely.  He  began  to  feel  quite  sorry  that  he 
had  not  treated  her  with  more  tenderness  and  con- 
sideration. While  he  was  in  this  state  of  mind, 
he  suddenly  began  to  hear  footsteps  upon  the 
garret  stairs.  He  knew  at  once,  by  the  sound 
that  it  was  Lucy  coming  up  again.  When  she 
readied  the  head  of  the  stairs,  he  found  that  she 
had  her  slate  in  her  hand. 

Lucy  walked  along  towards  Royal,  with  a  good- 
natured  and  pleasant  expression  of  countenance, 
and  held  out  the  slate  for  him  to  see  what  was 
written  upon  it.  Royal  saw  that  there  was  a  row 
of  threes,  all  made  very  neatly  and  correctly,  and 
with  the  open  part  turned  the  right  way. 

"  Ah,"  said  he,  "  Lucy,  who  made  them  ? " 

**  1,"  replied  Lucy 


THE    MAGAZINE. 


47 


''  Who  showed  you  how  ?  "  asked  Royal. 

"  Miss  Anne,"  replied  Lucy. 

"Those  are  right,"  said  Royal  He  wa? 
just  ready  to  say,  I  told  you  you  made  thera 
wrong  before ;  but,  then,  he  reflected  that  it 
would  not  be  pleasant  to  her,  for  him  to  triumph 
over  her,  and  so  he  only  said,  "  Those  are  right." 

"  And  now,  Lucy,"  he  continued,  "  you  may 
see  me  put  my  wagon  together,  and  then  to-morrow 
you  shall  learn  to  make  twos." 

That  afternoon,  Miss  Anne  questioned  Royal 
about  the  lesson  he  had  been  giving  Lucy,  and 
Royal  repeated  to  her,  as  nearly  as  he  could  rec- 
ollect, all  that  took  place. 

"  I  got  along  a  little  better,"  he  said,  when  he 
had   finished   his   account,  "than  I  did   the  first 


time." 


"  Yes,"  replied  Miss  Anne,  "  you  have  learaed 
something.     You  have  got  along  just  about  as  fai 
m  the  art  of  teaching,  as  Lucy  has  m  anthmetic 
If  yoj  both  persevere,  you'll  learn  after  a  time." 


48 


CHAPTER    IV. 

WHERE   IS   ROYAL? 

Lucv  came  one  evening  and  climb '.^  *,  mtp 
her  father's  lap. 

"  Father,"  said  she,  "  I  wish  you  won'^d  it>t  me 
study  something  besides  what  I  study  nuy  " 

"  Why,  what  do  you  study  now  ? "  asked  her 
father. 

"  Only  reading  and  spelling  at  bchool,  and 
arithmetic  at  home  with  Royal." 

"  Isn't  that  enough  ?  "  said  her  father. 

"  No,  sir,"  replied  Lucy ;  "  I  want  to  study 
something  else." 

"  Well,"  said  her  fadier,  "  I'll  give  you  some- 
thing to  study,  and  I'll  study  it  with  you." 

"  O,  well,"  said  Lucy,  much  pleaseii 

"  Let  me  se<-,"  added  her  father,  looking  around 
the  room.  "  What  shall  it  be  ?  What  shall  we 
study  ?     I'll  tell  you  ;  we'll  study  the  windows." 

"  O  father,"  said  Lucy,  "  we  can't  study  the 
windows." 

*'  O,  yes,"  replied  her  father,  "  there  is  a  great 


WHERE    IS     ROVAL  ?  49 

deal  to  be  learned  about  windows.  Look  al  one 
of  the  windows,  and  tell  me  what  you  observe/' 

So  Lucy  looked  at  the  window  a  moment, 
and  then  said,  — 

"  No,  father,  I  don't  observe  any  thing  about 
the  windows  at  all." 

"  /  observe  several  things   that  are  peculiar." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  peculiar ^  father  ? " 
asked  Lucy. 

"  Why,  whatever  one  thing  has,  which  othei 
things  do  not  have,  is  peculiar  to  it.  Thus  roots 
are  peculiar  to  plants,  for  other  things  do  not 
have  roots.  Now,  look  at  the  window,  and  see 
if  you  find  any  thing  peculiar  in  it." 

'•  No,  sir,"  said  Lucy  ;  "  1  think  it  is  just  like  all 
other  windows." 

"  But  I  didn't  wish  you  to  find  any  thing  pe- 
culiar to  this  window  alone,  which  distinguishes  it 
from  other  windows,  but  something  peculiar  to  all 
windows,  which  distinguish  them  from  the  other 
parts  of  a  building.  I  notice  one  thing  which  is 
very  peculiar." 

•'  What  is  it  ?  "  said  Lucy. 

"  Why,  they  are  transpaicnt." 

"  What  is  transparent  ?  "    asked  Lucy. 

"  Any  thing  that  you  can  see  through  is  trany- 
pai-ent,"  said  her  father.     "  Water  is  transparent  ' 


50  Lucy's  studies. 

glass  is  transparent ;  some  ice  is  transparent. 
Now,  windows  are  made  of  glass,  which  is  transpa- 
rent, for  two  reasons :  First,  in  order  that  the  ligh' 
may  shine  in  and  illuminate  the  room,  so  that  we 
can  see  to  walk  about  in  it,  and  to  read,  and  to  sew. 
The  other  reason  is,  that  we  can  look  out  through 
the  window,  and  see  the  scenery,  and  the  persons 
pass  along  the  street.  Those  are  the  reasons 
why  windows  are  made  of  something  transparent. 

"  There  is  also  something  peculiar,"  said  her 
father,  "  in  the  mode  in  which  windows  open . 
How  do  they  open  ?  " 

"  Right  upwards,"  said  Lucy,  making  a  motion 
with  her  hands,  as  if  she  was  opening  a  window. 

"  And  how  do  doors  open  ?  "  asked  her  father. 

"  Right  sideways,"  said  she. 

"  Now,  can  you  think  of  any  reason  why  win- 
dows should  open  by  sliding  upward,  and  doors 
by  swinging  out  upon  hinges  ? 

"  First,  why  shouldn't  windows  open  like 
doers,  by  swinging  out  upon  hinges  ?  " 

"  Why,  they  might  get  broken  by  the  wind,' 
said  Lucy. 

"  Yes,"  said  her  father  ;  "  doors  are  very  often 
shut  violently  by  the  wind  ;  and  this  would 
doubtless  often  happen  to  windows,  if  thei  v^^re 
huns:  in  a  similar  mannei." 


WHERE    IS    ROYAL?  51 

"  Once  I  saw  a  house,"  said  Lucy,  ''  where 
the  window  was  broken,  and  the  people  had  put 
&  piece  of  board  in  the  place  of  the  glass." 

"  Yes,"  said  her  father,  "  perhaps  they  had  no 
more  glass.  But  there  is  another  reason  why 
windows  shouldn't  open  like  doors.  Can  you 
think   what   it   is  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Lucy,  "  I  can't  think." 

"  If  windows  opened  upon  hinges,  like  doors, 
they  must  either  open  outward  into  the  open  air,  or 
mward  towards  the  room.  If  they  were  made  to 
open  outward,  then,  when  they  were  wide  open, 
they  would  swing  back  against  the  side  of  the 
house,  and  it  would  be  very  inconvenient  to  reach 
them  to  shut  them." 

"We  could  go  out  of  doors,"  said  Lucy. 

"  Yes,"  replied  her  father,  "  but  that  would  be 
very  inconvenient,  especially  if  there  came  up  a 
sudden  shower  of  rain,  and  we  wished  to  shut 
the  windows  quick. 

"  But,  on  the  other  hand,"  continued  her  fa- 
ther, "  if  the  windows  were  made  to  open  inwards, 
then  they  would  be  apt  to  knock  the  things  over 
on  the  table.  ^Ve  often  have  a  table  before  a 
window,  but  we  never  have  a  table  before  a  door  ; 
for  it  would  be  in  the  way  when  we  wanted  to 
pass  in  and  out      So  you  see  the  reasons,  why  it 


82  Lucy's  studies. 

IS  better  that  windows  should  be  made  to  Jide  up 
and  down,  and  doors  to  open  upon  hingts." 

"  But,  father,"  said  Lucy,  "  why  couldn't  doors 
De  made  to  slide  up  and  down  like  windows  ?  " 

"  Think  of  it  yourself,"  said  her  father,  "  and  see 
if  you  can  think  of  any  difficulty." 

"Why  —  yes,"  said  Lucy.  "Suppose  they 
wanted  me  to  open  the  door.  Well,  and  then  they 
tell  me  to  shut  the  door :  well,  then  I  go  and  try, 
but  I  can't  reach  up  to  the  door :  well,  then  I  get 
a  chair,  and  1  try  to  climb  up,  and  —  and  the  door 
sticks,  and  I  can't  pull  it  down,  and  perhaps  1 
tumble  down  and  hurt  me.  An't  those  dif- 
ficulties ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  her  father,  "  and  perhaps,  too^  the 
door  would  sometimes  be  left  not  shoved  up  quite 
high  enough,  and  then  people  would  bump  their, 
heads." 

"  Yeb,"  said  Lucy ;  "  and,  father,  Georgie 
bumped  his  head  the  other  day,  and  the  teacher 
asked  him  to  spell  bumper. ^^ 

"  And  did  that  make  him  forget  his  pain  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  but  he  didn't  spell  his  word  right." 

"  Didn't  he  ?  "  said  her  father.  "  Then  his  ex- 
perience of  the  thing  did  not  teach  him  the  or- 
thogi'aphy  of  the  word." 

"  What,  sir  ?  "  said  Lucy. 


WHERE    IS    ROYAL  t  53 

•'  His  experience  of  the  thing  did  not  l^acL 
him  the  orthography  of  the  word,"  repeated  hei 
father. 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean  by  that,"  said 
Lucy. 

"  Why,  by  bumping  his  ow^n  head,  he  experi- 
enced the  thing,  but  yet  he  could  not  spell  the 
word.  The  orthography  of  a  word  means  the 
spelling  of  it." 

"  I  did  not  know  that  before,"  said  Lacy. 

"  Then  I  should  like  to  have  you  take  pains  lo 
remember  it,"  said  her  father. 

"  I  don't  think  I  can  remember  such  a  long 
word,"  said  Lucy. 

"  The  way  to  fix  it  in  your  mind,''  said  her 
father,  "is  to  repeat  it  a  great  numbei  of  times. 
Say  orthography.'''^ 

So  Lucy  nepeated  the  word  after  her  father. 

•'  Now  repeat  it  ten  times,"  said  her  father, 
'^  and  count  by  means  of  your  fingers." 

So  Lucy  repeated  the  word  orthography  ten 
times,  touchincr  the  thumb  and  finders  of  her  left 
hand  in  succession  as  she  did  so,  and  then  the 
thumb  and  fingers  of  her  right  band.  By  doing 
this,  she  rendered  the  sound  of  the  word  some- 
what familiar,  and  also  accustomed  herself  to  pn  • 
nounce  it. 


54  LUCY  S    STUDIES. 

"  Now,"  said  her  father,  "  go  out  and  find 
Royal,  and  tell  him  all  I  have  told  you  about 
windows;  and  also  tell  him  that  orthography 
means  spelling.  That  will  help  you  remember 
the  whole  lesson." 

"  Is  that  a  lesson  ?  "  said  Lucy. 

"  Yes,"  said  her  father,  "  it  is  a  lesson ;  and  it 
will  be  quite  a  good  lesson  for  you,  I  hope.  It 
will  teach  you  to  observe  particularly  what  you 
see ;  and  to-morrow  morning  I  will  give  you  the 
sequel  to  it." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  sequell "  said  Lucy. 

"  I  will  tell  you  when  I  am  ready,  to-morrow,  to 
give  you  the  sequel." 

So  Lucy  went  away  to  find  her  brother  Royal. 

She  thought  it  probable  that  he  was  in  the 
back  yard  or  garden,  but  she  could  not  find  him 
in  either  place.  She  stood  at  the  garden  gate, 
and  called, — 

"  Royal  1  Royal  1  where  are  you  ?  " 

But  there  was  no  answer. 

"  Joanna,"  said  Lucy,  "  do  you  know  where 
Royal  is  ? " 

For,  just  at  that  moment,  she  saw  Joanna  sit- 
ting at  the  window  of  her  room. 

"  No,"  said  Joanna,  "  I  don't  know ;  but  he 


WHERE    IS     ROYAL  t  56 

can't  be  far  off,  for  it  is  only  a  few  minutes  since 
[  heard  him  whistle." 

"Whistle?"  said  Lucy. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Joanna ;  "  it  sounded  as  if  he 
was  blowing  some  whistle,  which  he  had  made 
out  of  a  willow." 

"  I  wish  I  could  find  him,"  said  Lucy. 

Just  at  this  moment,  Lucy  heard  a  long-drawn 
and  very  clear  whisde,  which  seemed  to  be  very 
near. 

"  Royal  1  "  said  Lucy  ;  "  Royal !  is  that  you  i 
Where  are  you  ?  " 

There  was  no  answer,  but  only  a  repetition  ol 
the  same  shrill  and  long-protracted  sound. 

Lucy  began  to  look  eagerly  around  the  yard. 

"  Royal !  "  said  she,  "  Royal !  is  that  you  whis- 
tling ? " 

Another  Ions  whistle. 

"  Ah,  Royal,"  said  Lucy,  '  1  know  where 
you  are  ;  you've  hid  somewhere.     I  know  you." 

So  saying,  Lucy  began  to  look  around  the  yard 
in  every  direction,  but  no  Royal  was  to  be  seen. 
She  went  to  the  garden  gate,  and  looked  undei 
ihe  shrubbery,  but  there  was  no  Royal  there. 

At  length  she  paused,  not  knowing  where  to 
lo*  k  next ;  and,  after  resting  a  moment,  she  said,  — 

••■  Whistle  again.  Royal." 


56  Lucy's  studies. 

So  Royal  whistled  attain.  Tlie  sound  seemed 
to  come  from  upwards,  and  Lucy  looked  up 
towards  the  house. 

"  Ah,"  said  she,  "  Royal,  I  know  where  you  are. 
You  are  in  the  house,  by  some  of  the  windows. 
1  know  —  you  are  at  mother's  window  —  or  else 
at  Joanna's.     Joanna,  isn't  he  in  your  room  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Joanna. 

"  And  don't  you  know  wheio  he  is  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  Joanna. 

"  Well,  tell  me  then  ;  do,  Joanna.  I'm  tired 
of  looking  for  him." 

Joanna  only  smiled ;  and  Lucy,  finding  that  she 
could  o-et  no  mformation  from  her,  said  that  she 
knew  Royal  w^as  in  the  house  ;  and  she  ran  in,  and 
went  up  stau's  to  search  the  chambers  which  looked 
out  towards  that  side  of  the  house,  especially  such 
as  had  any  windows  open.  She  looked  in  them 
all  in  vain.  Then  she  went  into  Joanna's  room, 
•md  stood  by  her  side,  leaning  her  arms  upon  the 
window  sill,  and  looking  out  the  window. 

"  Royal,"  said  she,  "  I  should  think  you  might 
tell  me  where  you  are." 

Royal  answered  by  calling  out,  C-o-o-p  ;  just 
as  the  children  were  accustomed  to  do,  when 
playing  hide  and  go  seek.  The  direction  of  the 
bound  of  a  voice  is   generally   move    perceptible 


WHERE    IS    ROYAL  ?  59 

than  that  of  a  whistle ;  and  it  was  particularly  so 
i'n  tnis  case,  for  Lucy  at  once  perceived  that  the 
sound  came  from  somewhere  in  the  air.  She 
looked  up  in  the  direction  from  which  the  sound 
seemed  to  proceed,  and,  to  her  great  astonishment, 
$aw  Royal  comfortably  seated  near  the  top  of  a 
great  oak-tree,  which  stood  in  the  comer  of  the 
yard.    He  was  almost  concealed  by  the  branches. 

"  Why,  Royal !  "  exclaimed  Lucy  ;  "  what  are 
you  doing  there  ? " 

"  Making  whistles,"  said  Royal. 

"  O  Royal ! "  exclaimed  Lucy  again. 

She  found,  on  examining  more  particularly  his 
^oosition,  that  he  had  placed  a  short  board  across 
ii'om  one  branch  to  another  for  a  seat,  and  that  at 
a  short  distance  below  he  had  placed  another 
board,  which  answered  to  put  his  feet  on.  The 
board  on  which  he  sat  extended  out  a  litde  way 
beyond  the  branch  where  it  rested,  and  this  Royal 
used  for  a  sort  of  shelf,  to  put  his  pieces  of  whistle 
wood  upon,  and  his  knife,  when  he  was  not  using 
it.  Two  whistles,  also,  which  he  had  finished, 
were  lying  here.  Royal  was  making  another  ; 
and  he  went  on  very  gravely  with  his  work,  while 
Lucy  was  wondering  at  his  position. 

*'  Lucy,"  said  Royal,  "  do  you  want  a  whistle  ?  " 

*'  Yes,"  said  I  jUC|  . 


60  Lucy's  studies. 

"  Come  out,  then,  Into  tlie  yard,  and  1  will 
throw  you  one  down." 

Lucy  accordingly  ran  out,  and  Royal,  takino 
up  one  of  the  whistles,  which  he  had  made,  tossed 
it  out  from  among  the  branches  of  the  tree.  It 
sailed  out  horizontally  through  the  air,  and  then, 
turninij  downward,  it  bef^ar  to  descend  in  that 
beautiful  curve,  which  bodies  projected  from  a 
great  height  always  describe,  and  at  last  it  came 
down  to  the  ground. 

But  it  was  now  some  time  after  sunset,  and  it 
was  not  very  light  in  the  yard.  Lucy  went  to  the 
place  where  the  whistle  had  fallen,  and  looked 
for  it  among  the  grass,  but  she  could  not  find  it. 
However,  Royal  himself  came  down  pretty  soon, 
and,  after  a  little  search,  he  found  it  close  to 
Lucy's  foot.  The  interest  which  Lucy  felt  in  this 
incident  drove  all  thoughts  of  the  lesson  on  win- 
dows from  her  mind ;  and  so  she  did  not  get  the 
sequel  to  the  lesson,  which  her  fiither  had  prom- 
ised  her. 

What  her  father  had  intended  by  the  sequel 
to  the  lesson  was  this  :  He  was  going  to  send 
Lucy  into  one  room,  and  Royal  into  anodier,  and 
'et  each  of  them  examine  a  fireplace,  so  as  to 
observe  its  peculiarities,  and  then  to  come  in  and 
tell  him  what  they  were ;  and  also  to  ask  him  for 


WHERE     13    ROYAL  ?  61 

the  reason  o[  any  thing  they  noticed  about  the 
tireplace,  wliich  they  did  not  understand. 

They  did  not  do  this,  however,  until  the  next 
(ky  ;  and  then,  when  they  canie  in  from  the  ex- 
amination   of  the    fireplace,  Lucy  said  that  she 
observed  one  peculiarity  about  the  fireplace,  and 
that  was,  that  the  back  of  the  chimney  was  black, 
and  that  she  did  not  understand  why  the  fire,  which 
was  red,  should  make  the  bricks  black.     Royal 
said  that  he   observed,  that  there  was  always  a 
mantel  shelf  over  a  fireplace,  and  he  did  not  see 
why  they  always  had  a  mantel  shelf  over  a  fire- 
pho3j  rather  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  room. 
"  But,  father,"  said  Lucy,  "  what  is  a  sequel  ?  " 
"  A  sequel  of  any  thing,"  replied  her   father, 
'  is  that  which  comes  in  consequence  of  it.  and 
LS  the  conclusion  of  it." 
'^  1  don't  understand  that  very  well,"  said  Lucy, 
■ '  Never  mind,"  replied  her  father ;  "  I  can'r.  px- 
plain  it  to  you  any  more  now  " 
So  Lucy  went  away. 


62 


THAPTER    / 

ACCOUNTS. 

Lucy  had  an  allowance  from  her  father  of  a 
small  sum  of  money  every  week,  which  she  was 
allowed  to  expend  for  herself,  in  any  way  that 
her  father  approved.  Her  father  had  several 
reasons  for  this,  and,  among  the  otheis,  he  thought 
it  would  help  Lucy  to  learn  somethmg  ahout  ac- 
counts. For  he  said,  when  he  told  her  that  he 
was  going  to  let  her  have  an  allowance,  that  he 
must  make  her  an  account-book  like  Royal's ; 
for  Royal  had  had  an  allowance,  and  an  account- 
book  to  keep  an  account  of  it  in,  for  a  long  time. 

"  But,  father,"  said  Lucy,  "  why  need  I  have 
an  account-book  ?  Why  can't  you  give  me  die 
money  every  Saturday  night,  and  let  me  keep  il 
myself?  " 

"  For  several  reasons,"  said  her  father.  "  In  the 
first  place,  I  should  not  always  remember  to  pay 
you  tlie  money  every  Saturday  night ;  and  then,  in 
the  middle  of  the  next  week,  we  should  not  be  quite 
wire  whether  it  had  been  paid  or  not.     And  so 


ACCOUNTS.  63 

in  a  short  time,  we  should  get  into  confusion. 
And  then,  besides,  1  an:i  not  wilUng  to  let  you 
have  the  money  to  keep  yourself." 

"  Why  not,  sir  ?  "  said  Lucy. 

"  You  would  be  very  likely  to  lose  it.  You 
would  leave  it  here  and  there  about  the  house, 
as  you  do  your  playthings.  Then,  besides,  if  you 
had  the  charge  and  custody  of  your  money,  you 
would  sometimes,  perhaps,  expend  it  without  my 
approbation." 

"But  I  should  think  that,  if  the  money  was 
ours,"  said  Royal,  who  was  standing  by  at  this 
time,  "  we  might  expend  it  for  any  thing  we 
chose." 

"  True,"  replied  his  father,  "  but  the  money 
isn't  yours.  I  don't  make  you  an  allowance  of 
so  much  money  every  week,  but  give  you  a  credit, 
to  be  used  on  certain  conditions  ;  and  if  you  take 
it,  you  take  it  subject  to  those  conditiors." 

"  What  conditions  ?  "  said  Lucy. 

"  Why,  that  you  use  the  credit  only  for  such 
purposes  as  I  approve.  I  put  down  for  you  a 
certain  sum  for  every  week,  and  then,  when  you 
want  to  buy  any  thing,  you  can  have  it,  if  T  think 
it  is  proper  for  you,  and  if  it  doesn't  come  to 
moie  than  your  allowance  amounts  to.  But  in 
the  mean  time  I  must  keep  all  the  money." 


64  LT  CY^S    STUDIES. 

Accordingly,  Lucy's  father  made  her  a  sntall 
account-book,  like  Royal's.  Her  mother  sewed 
It.  It  had  a  cover  of  marble  paper.  The  leaves 
were  made  of  paper,  ruled  with  blue  lines,  and 
her  father  ruled  some  lines  up  and  down  the  page 
of  red  ink.  The  first  line  was  near  the  left-hand 
edge  of  every  page,  and  was  intended  to  mark 
off  a  space  to  put  down  the  day  of  the  month, 
when  any  thing  was  written  in  the  book.  Then 
there  was  another,  near  the  risht-hand  ed^e  of 
every  page,  which  was  for  the  figures  expressing 
the  amount  of  the  money. 

It  was  about  the  middle  of  July,  when  Lucy's 
father  made  her  the  account-book.  But  he  said 
he  would  begin  back  as  far  as  to  Lucy's  birthday, 
in  reckonino;  the  allowance.  So  he  entered  in 
the  account-book,  first,  an  allowance  for  a  month 
and  a  half,  at  the  top  of  the  second  page.  On 
the  first  page,  he  only  wrote  the  words  Account- 
Book,  in  pretty  large  letters. 

"  Now,"  said  her  father,  "  whenever  you  want 
to  buy  any  thing,  you  can  ask  me  or  your  mot  ier ; 
and  if  we  approve  of  it,  you  can  buy  it,  and  I  hall 
write  down  what  it  is,  and  the  price  of  it,  on  the 
page  opposite  to  the  one  where  your  allowaij  b  is 
entet  ed  ;  and  then  we  can  see,  when  we  opei  the 
book^  how  much   your  allowance  comes  to    '>y 


ACCOUNTS.  G5 

looking  on  one  side,  and  how  many  things  you  ht^ve 
bought  with  it.  by  looking  on  the  otiier." 

Lucy  was  very  much  pleased  with  her  ac- 
count-book, and  she  put  it  away  very  carefully  in 
her  drawer.  She  determined  to  come  every 
Saturday  evening,  and  have  her  allowance  for  die 
week  "egularly  entered. 

When,  however,  her  account-book  was  out  of 
sight,  it  was  out  of  mind ;  and  several  weeks 
passed  away  before  siie  thought  of  it  again.  At 
last,  one  day,  as  she  and  Royal  were  looking  over 
her  drawer,  she  found  her  account-book. 

"  There,"  said  she,  "  now  here  is  my  account- 
book,  and  I  haven't  had  any  allow  ance  for  a  great 
many  weeks.  Father  said  he  would  give  me  an 
allowance  every  week." 

"  You  ought  to  have  earned  him  your  book,  and 
he  would,"  said  Royal. 

"  But  I  forgot  it,"  said  Lucy ;  "  and  now  1 
have  forgotten  how  lono-  it  is,  and  how  much  the 
allowance  will  make." 

So  saying,  Lucy  was  just  beginning  to  cry. 

"  Why,  Lucy,  you  silly  child,"  said  Royal ; 
"  it's  nothing  to  cry  for.  It  will  make  no  d'f- 
ference." 

"  Why,  I  haven't  had    my  allowance,"  said 
[jucy,  "  for  a  great  many  weeks  " 


66  LUCY  S    STUDIES. 

•^  No  matter,"  replied  Royal ;  "  father  cm  piU 
It  all  down  together ;  it  will  make  no  difference.  ' 
So  Royal  opened  Lucy's  book,  and  explained  to 
Lucy  how  it  would  be. 

"  You  see,"  said  he,  "  that  when  father  put 
down  the  allowance  before,  it  was  July  15th.  Now, 
he  can  calculate,  very  easily,  how  many  weeks  it  is 
since  then,  till  now,  and  so  he  can  tell  how  much 
more  allowance  he  must  put  down.  I  can  almost 
calculate  it  myself" 

Lucy  did  not  answer,  but  looked  upon  the 
date  in  her  account-book,  which  Royal  pointed 
at  with  his  finger,  trying  to  understand  how 
it   was. 

"  You  see,"  continued  Royal,  "  that  is  the  ad 
vantage  of  having  an  account-book.     It  keeps  the 
reckoning.     As  soon  as  you  get  an  account-book, 
and  have  the  things  put  down,  you  may  forget  as 
much  as  you  please." 

Lucy  earned  the  account-book  to  her  father 
that  evening ;  and  she  found  that  it  was  as  Royal 
had  predicted.  There  was  no  difficulty  at  all 
in  ascertaining  the  amount  of  the  allowance  due^ 
by  calculating  from  the  date  of  the  first  entry 
Lucy  got  her  father  to  make  the  calculation,  and 
enter  the  amount  due  up  to  that  time  ;  and  then 
she  went  to  put  her  book  awav,  with  a  feeling  of 


ACCOUNTS.  6? 

great  relief  and  satisfaction.  She  tumeJ  rouna, 
howev^er,  after  she  had  gone  a  few  steps  towards 
the  door,  and  said,  — 

"  You  are  not  going  to  Let  me  have  the  money, 
I  suppose?" 

"  No,"  said  her  father ;  '•'  I  keep  the  money  lor 
you,  —  until  you  want  to  buy  something  with  it." 

Nothing  more  was  said  about  Lucy's  account- 
book  for  some  days.  At  length,  however,  one 
evening,  as  Lucy  was  playing  upon  the  cricket 
near  the  sofa,  where  her  father  was  sitting,  she 
came  to  him,  and  said,  — 

"  Father,  I  wish  you  would  just  let  me  look  at 
my  money  a  little  while." 

Her  father  hesitated  a  moment,  and  then  put 
his  hand  into  his  pocket,  and  drew  out  several 
pieces  of  silver  money. 

"  Is  that  my  money,"  said  Lucy,  "  or  yours  ? ' 

Her  father  laughed,  but  did  not  answer. 

"  Father,"  said  Lucy  earnestly,  "  is  that  my 
money?  " 

"  Why,  Lucy,"  he  replied,  "  I  don't  keep  any 
money  for  you  separate  from  my  own." 

"  O  father,"  said  Lucy,  "  you  said  you  would 
keep  my  money  for  me." 

"  Yes,"  said  her  father,  "  so  I  did  ;  but  I  did 
not  mean  that  I  would  keep  it  separate.'* 


68  lucy's   studies. 

"  How  do  you  keep  it,  then  ?  "  said  Lucy. 

Her  father  laughed  ;  but  Lucy  did  not  know 
what  he  was  laughing  at. 

"  Why,  Lucy,"  said  he,  "  I  keep  your  money, 
just  as  all  bankers  do  the  money  they  have  on 
deposit." 

"  Deposit  ?  "  repeated  Lucy. 

"  Yes,"  replied  her  father.  "  Money  that  is 
placed  in  any  body's  hands  for  safe-keeping  is 
said  to  be  a  deposit.  Your  money  is  depositee 
with  me." 

"Yes,  sir,"  said  Lucy.  So  far  she  understood 
very  well. 

"  Now,  wiien  money  is  deposited  with  a  banker, 
he  does  not  keep  that  identical  money  <-'eparate 
from  the  rest." 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean  by  identical 
mcney,"  said  Lucy. 

(Vhy,  the  same  money,  —  the  very  same." 

"  And  doesn't  he  keep  the  money,  then,  at  all  ?  " 

"  jNo,  not  separately  ;  he  mixes  it  with  his  own 
money,  and  pays  it  away,  just  as  he  does  his  own." 

"  I  shouldn't  think  he  ought  to  do  that,"  said 
Lucy, "  if  it  was  deposited  with  him  for  safe- 
keeping." 

"  Why,  whenever  the  owner  of  the  money 
comes  to  call   for  it,  instead  of  giving  back  the 


ACCOUNTS.  69 

noney,  which  was  deposited,  he  just  gives  hira 
the  same  amouiit  of  his  own  money,  and  that  is  just 
us  good.    One  dollar  is  as  good  as  another  dollar." 
"  O  father  !  "  said  Lucy. 
"  Why,  isn't  it  ?  "  said  her  father 
"  O  no,  sir  ;  some  are  a  great  deal  prettier." 
Here  Lucy's  father  laughed  again  very  heartily, 
and  concluded  that   Lucy  was  rather  too  young 
o  understand  much  about  banking  and  finance 
However,  he  thought  that  he  would  not  despair 
too  soon.     So  he  proceeded  thus :  — 

"  Yes,  Lucy,  you  are  right ;  one  dollar  may  be 
brighter  and  prettier  than-  another  as  a  coin,  to  be 
used  for  a  plaything ;  but  when  I  agreed  to  give 
you  so  much  money  each  month,  I  did  not  mean 
so  many  coins  for  playthings,  but  a  certain  amount 
of  value  for  purchases.  Now,  in  value,  and  for 
use  in  making  purchases,  one  dollar  is  as  good  as 
anodier ;  and  so,  in  almost  all  cases  in  reckoning 
accounts  among  men,  they  never  think  at  all  of 
the  particular  money  that  they  receive  and  pay, 
but  only  of  the  value.  When  one  man  borrows 
ten  dollars  of  another  man,  he  does  not  keep 
those  same  dollars  to  pay  back  to  him  again,  but 
only  pays  him  other  dollars  as  good.  And  when 
money  is  deposited  with  a  banker,  he  does  not 
keep  the  same  money,  but  puts  it  with  hi?  own. 


70  Lucy's  stuv)ies. 

ard  spends  from  it  just  as  if  it  were  his  own  ,  and 
then,  when  the  man  who  deposited  the  money 
with  him,  calls  for  it,  he  only  gives  him  an  equal 
amount  of  his  own." 

"  Yes,  father,  I  understand  it  now,"  said  Lucy. 

"  Just  so  with  the  money  of  your  allowance. 
I  don't  keep  it  separately  from  my  other  money  : 
I  am  only  bound  to  let  you  have  the  amount  in 
value;  —  so  that  you  see  I  can  never  give  you 
your  money  to  play  with,  but  only  when  you 
want  to  expend  any  of  it,  then  I  must  supply  you 
with  some  of  my  own." 

Lucy  seemed  to  be  pretty  well  satisfied  with 
this  account ;  but  still  she  wished  there  was  some 
way  by  which  she  could  have  some  of  her  money 
for  a  plaything. 

"  Well,"  said  her  father,  "  we  can  manage  it 
in  this  way.  I  will  give  you  a  piece  of  money, 
ind  1  will  set  it  down  in  the  account,  just  as  if 
It  had  been  a  plaything  bought." 

So  Lucy's  father  took  out  several  pieces  of 
money  from  his  purse,  and  let  Lucy  look  them 
Dver,  tellinoj  her  that  she  mio^ht  take  whichever  she 
'hose.  Then  he  entered  the  value  of  this  piece 
\4'  money  in  Lucy's  account-book,  on  the  page 
opposite  to  the  one  where  the  allowance  was 
entered.     The  account  in  this  book  was  continued 


ACCOUNTS.  71 

a  long  time.  On  one  page  Lucy's  father  entered 
her  allowance  from  time  to  time,  whenever  Luc}^ 
came  to  him  and  wanted  her  accounts  made  up, 
and  on  the  other  side  he  entered  such  things  as 
she  purchased,  and  this  was  the  way  in  which 
Luc}^  got  her  first  regular  ideas  of  money  and 
accounts. 


78 


CHAPTER  VI. 

MARY  JAY. 

Besides  1-j\ic>\  studies  at  home,  she  went  to 
school,  where  k\^  isd  other  studies  to  attend  to. 
The  school  was  a  ^\&%\\  Mie,  including  the  children 
of  onl}^  one  or  two  ^anx^ies,  and  was  kept  in  a 
room  which  opened  int  j  a  large  and  beautiful 
garden,  as  is  more  full}  iescribed  in  the  book 
called  Lucy's  Stories.  To  go  to  this  school, 
the  children  went  througL  a  gate  on  the  street, 
and  then,  passing  through  &  green  alle}",  thej^  went 
around  a  corner, with  trees,  fi  >wers,  and  shrubbery 
on  each  side,  to  the  garden,  and  there,  up  stairs, 
was  the  school-room.  The^e  were  not  many 
children  there.  But,  besides  the  teacher,  there 
was  a  girl  about  fifteen,  whom  the  children  gen- 
erally called  Mavy  Jay.  She  could  not  walk  very 
well,  for  she  was  very  lame  ;  but  her  countenance 
had  a  very  mild  and  beautiful  expression,  and  she 
was  always  very  kind  to  the  children.  She  used 
to  read  them  stories  out  of  a  great  book  of  stories, 


MARY    JAY.  ?5 

which  she  had  wntten,  and  which  she  calle/'  tie 
Morocco  Book. 

The  reason  why  Mary  Jay  went  to  the  school, 
was  oecause  she  wanted  to  learn  to  be  a  teacher 
heiself;  and  all  the  children  thought  that  she 
would  make  a  very  excellent  teacher.  For  she 
often  heard  the  scholars  recite  their  lessons,  and  ex- 
plained their  difficulties  ;  and  the  children  liked  to 
go  to  her  very  much.  She  was  very  gentle  and 
kind,  and  yet  she  always  made  them  obey.  In 
fact,  they  liked  to  obey.  One  day,  when  they  were 
going  home  from  school,  Lucy  said  to  her,  — 

"  When  are  you  going  to  have  a  school  of 
your  own,  Mary  Jay  ?  " 

"  Why? "  said  Mary  Jay ;  "  why  do  you  wish 
to  know  ? " 

"  Because,"  said  Lucy,  "  I  mean  to  come  and 
be  one  of  your  scholars." 

"  Well,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  the  school  which 
we  go  to  now,  isn't  going  to  be  kept  but  two  oi 
three  weeks  longer,  and  then  you  may  come  to 
the  house  where  1  live,  and  be  my  scholar." 

"  I  don't  know  where  the  house  is  that  you 
live  in,"  said  Lucy. 

"  You  know  the  road  that  leads  U  the  mill,' 
Raid  Mary  Jay. 

*^  Yes,"  said  Lucy 
7 


74  Lucy's  studies. 

"  And  do  you  remember  a  ^lide-  lost,  at  the 
loot  of  a  hill  J  fastened  to  a  great  tree    " 

"  YeSj"  said  Lucy,  "  with  bridge  and  two  mills 
written  on  it." 

"  Two  mzYes,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  not  mills  It 
says  that  to  the  bridge  it  is  two  miles.  Did  you 
think  it  was  mhls  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  replied  Lucy ;  "  I  thought  it  meant  that 
that  road  led  to  a  place  where  there  was  a  bridge 
and  two  mills." 

"  O  no,"  said  Mary  Jay, laughing.  "It  meaiis 
that  it  is  two  miles  to  the  bridge.  The  house  that 
I  live  in,  is  about  a  half  a  mile  along  that  road." 

As  Mary  Jay  said  this,  they  reached  the  pia<.e 
where  the  road  to  the  house,  which  Lucy  lived 
in,  turned  away  from  the  road  which  Mary  Jay 
was  to  take.  So  Lucy  bade  her  good  byo ,  and 
Mary  Jay,  after  resting  a  moment  upon  her  crutch, 
looking  at  Lucy  as  she  walked  along,  turned 
away  into  her  own  road,  and  Lucy  saw  her  no 
more 

That  evening,  however,  Lucy  told  her  mother 
what  Mary  Jay  had  said.  Her  mother  inquired 
about  it,  and  found  that  it  was  true  that  the  school 
where  Lucy  had  been  admitted  was  to  be  closed 
in  a  few  weeks,  because  the  family  where  it  had 
been  kept  were  going  away,  and  it  was:ii't  to  b* 


MARY    JAY.  76 

opened  again  until  the  next  spring.  But  there 
were  to  be  three  more  months  of  pleasant  weather ; 
and  so  Lucy's  mother  went  to  see  Mary  Jay,  and 
made  an  arrangement  with  het  to  take  Lucy  for 
a  scholar. 

Accordingly,  a  few  days  after  this,  Lucy  set  off, 
one  morning,  with  Royal  to  guide  her,  to  go  to 
Mary  Jay's  house,  to  begin  at  her  new  school. 
They  walked  along  very  pleasantly  together. 
Royal  carrying  Lucy's  slate  and  book  for  her,  in 
a  green  satchel.  When  they  came  to  the  guide- 
board,  Lucy  stopped  to  examine  it  more  particu- 
larly.    She  found  it  was  miles,  not  mills. 

"  You  might  have  known,"  said  Royal,  "  by 
there  being  no  and.  If  it  had  meant  two  mills,  it 
would  have  been,  bridge  and  two  mills." 

"  Tlien  it  means,"  said  Lucy,  "  that  it  is  two 
miles  to  the  brido:e  down  this  road." 

"Yes,"  said  Royal. 

"  How  far  is  two  miles  ? "  asked  Lucy. 

"  O,  it  isn't  very  far,"  said  Royal.  "  I  can  walk 
(wo  miles  easily  enough." 

*  I  should  like  to  see  the  bridge,"  said  Lucy. 

"Yes,"  said  Royal.  "Some  day  we  will 
taJ<:e  a  walk  down  and  see  it." 

So  Royal  and  Lucy  walked  on.  After  a  time^ 
the    road  turned  a  little,  coming  round  a  pretty 


76  i.ucy's  studies. 

green  hill  covered  with  trees;  and  on  the  ether 
side  of  it,  there  came  into  \iew  a  small  farm-houscj 
painted  white,  with  a  garden  on  one  side,  and  a  few 
small  sheds  and  barns  upon  the  other.  Between 
the  house  and  the  garden  there  was  a  little  gate, 
and  a  path  leading  up  to  a  door  in  the  end  of 
the  house ;  and  there  was  quite  a  pleasant  little 
grass  yard  in  front  of  the  door,  with  the  garden 
gate  on  the  opposite  side  of  it. 

"  There,"  said  Royal,  "  that  is  Mary  Jay's 
house." 

"  Is  that  it  ?  "  said  Lucy  ;  "  what  a  pleasant 
house  !  Do  you  think  she  will  let  me  go  in  that 
warden  ?  " 

"  No,"  said  Royal,  «  not  she." 

"  Why  not  ?  "  said  Lucy. 

"  O,  because  you'd  pull  up  the  flowers,  and 
trample  on  the  beds.  They  don't  let  children  go 
in  such  pretty  gardens  as  that." 

"  O  Royal,"  said  Lucy,  "  I  shouldn't  trample 
on  the  beds,  I  am  sure.     I  should  be  very  careful.'* 

"  Well,"  replied  Royal,  "  you'll  see  whether 
she'll  let  you  go  m  her  garden.  But  now  you 
can  find  your  way  to  the  door,  and  I  am  gomg 
back." 

"  No,  Royal,"  said  Lucy ;  "  you  m'lst  come  ann 
knock  for  me." 


MARY    JAY.  77 

"  O  no,"  replied  Royal ;  "  you  must  knock  for 
yO!irself." 

"  I  can't  knock  hard  enough,"  said  Lucy ; 
"  besides,  I  am  afraid." 

Royal  only  laughed  at  Lucy's  fears,  and  said 
he  only  came  to  show  her  the  way,  and  not  to 
knock  for  her.  But  he  did  wrono-.  He  ou^ht  to 
have  been  willing  to  have  gone  up  to  the  door 
with  her,  since  she  wished  it ;  but  he  would  not 

He,  however,  finally  consented  to  remain  whtie 
he  was,  to  watch  and  see  whether  she  got  in 
safely. 

So  Lucy  took  her  satchel  and  walked  along, 
while  Royal  sat  down  upon  a  stone  by  the  road- 
side, to  watch  her  progress. 

There  was  a  little  gate  next  to  the  street, 
which  Lucy  would  have  to  pass  through  in  going 
up  to  the  door.  There  were  two  large  lilac 
bushes  hano;ino;  over  the  gate,  one  on  each  side. 
When  she  came  to  it,  she  found  it  fastened  by  a 
kind  of  wooden  latch  ;  and  at  first  she  did  not 
know  how  to  open  it.  She  turned  around,  and 
beckoned  to  Royal  to  come  and  help  her ;  but 
Royal  sat  still.  He  thought  that  she  might  have 
climbed   over,    if  she  couldn't  open  the  gate. 

There  was  another  large  gate  beyond  the 
house,  which  seemed  to  lead  from  the  street  into  a 
7* 


78  Lucy's   studies. 

yard,  where  the  little  barns  and  sheds  were  ;  and 
Lucy  had  a  great  mind  to  go  in  there,  for  the 
large  gate  was  open.  But  she  was  afraid  tha 
there  might  be  some  cows  in  there ;  and  besides, 
she  did  not  know  thai  there  was  any  door  leading 
into  the  house  araund  that  way  ;  so  she  tried  once 
more  to  open  the  gate.  This  time  she  succeeded  ; 
the  gate  came  open,  and  Lucy,  much  relieved; 
went  through,  and  shut  it  after  her. 

She  walked  along  the  path,  toward  the  door 
Before  the  door  there  was  a  large  stone  step,  of 
irregular  form,  but  smooth  upon  the  top.  Tliere 
was  a  rose-bush  on  each  side  of  the  step.  One 
of  the  rose-bushes  was  very  large.  There  were 
apple-trees  in  the  gaiden,  and  Lucy  thought  she 
saw  a  bird's  nest  on  one  of  them. 

Lucy  knocked  gently  and  timidly  at  the  door ; 
but  nobody  heard  her.  Then  she  knocked  again, 
a  little  louder.  She  listened,  and  presently  she 
thought  she  heard  somebody  coming.  A  moment 
after,  the  door  opened,  and  a  little  girl,  who  yet 
seemed  to  be  considerably  older  than  she  was  her- 
self, appeared.  She  smiled  when  she  saw  Lucy, 
as  if  she  knew  her,  but  did  not  speak.  She  openea 
the  door  wide,  and  Lucy  went  in. 

Then  Royal,  who  had  been  all  this  time  sitting 
upon  the  stone  by  the  roadside,  watchinij   Lucy's 


MARY    JAr.  79 

motions,  as  soon  as  he  saw  that  Lucy  iiad  gone 
in,  and  that  the  door  was  shut,  ami  that  there  was 
nothing  more  for  him  to  do,  got  up  from  his  seat^ 
and  walked  away  towards  home. 

The  girl  who  had  opened  the  door  for  Lucy, 
conducted  her  alonor  throuojh  a  kind  of  sittins* 
room,  into  a  little  bed-room,  where  Lucy  found 
Mary  Jay  sitting  at  a  window  at  work. 

"  Ah !  Lucy,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  1  am  glad  to 
see  you ;  how  did  you  find  your  way  ?  " 

"  Royal  showed  me,"  said  Lucy. 

"  1  expected  that  Royal  would  show  you  the 
way  ;  but  where  is  he  ?  " 

"  He  did  not  come  quite  here,"  said  Lucy, 
"  but  stopped  out  in  the  road  ;  and  now  I  suppose 
that  he  has  gone  home." 

"  O,  I  am  sorry  that  he  didn't  come  in.  He 
would  have  liked  to  see  our  bird's  nest." 

"  Have  you  got  a  bird's  nest  ?  "  said  Lucy. 

"  Yes,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  with  three  young 
birds  in  it.  And  there  is  a  little  ladder,  so  that 
we  can  climb  up  very  easily  and  see  it.  But  you 
may  take  off  your  bonnet  and  put  it  away.  You'll 
find  a  nail  to  hang  it  upon  in  that  closet." 

Mary  Jay  pointed  to  a  closet  door,  which  Lucy 
opened,  and  found  there  two  nails,  driven  on  pur- 
pose foi'  her,  low  enough  for  her  to  reach.     She 


80  hicy's  studies. 

put  her  bonnet  upon  one,  and  hung  her  satche 
upon  the  other,  after  having  taken  out  her  book 
and  slate.  Then  Lucy  went  back  to  Alary 
Jay. 

"  There,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "look  there,  and  see 
what  a  table  I  have  prepared  for  you." 

Lucy  looked  where  Mary  Jay  pointed.  There 
were  two  chairs  placed  near  the  window,  with  a 
board  passing  across  from  one  chair  to  the  other. 
The  board  was  pretty  wide,  but  not  very  long. 
It  was  smooth,  and  it  looked  veiy  new.  One  end 
of  the  board  rested  upon  one  chair,  and  the  other 
end  upon  the  other  chair,  so  that  it  made  a  sort 
of  table.  There  was  a  small  chair  with  a  seat 
made  of  a  kind  of  basket  work,  before  this  table. 
Lucy  knew  at  once  that  this  litde  chair  was 
for  her. 

"  Is  that  my  table  ? "  said  Lucy. 

"  Yes,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  or  desk  ;  you  may 
call  it  your  desk,  if  you  please." 

Lucy  sat  down  at  her  desk,  and  she  said  she 
liked  it  very  much.  She  put  her  book  and  slate 
before  her,  and  found  that  the  board  was  just 
hiirh  enough  for  her. 

"  Now,"  continued  Mary  Jay,  "  that  will  be 
your  place  to  study  ;  but  the  place  to  keep  your 
books  after  you  have  done  studying  is  on  a  shelf 


MART    JAY.  81 

in  the  closet.  You  may  go  and  see  if  you  can 
find  it." 

So  Lucy  went  to  the  closet  again.  She  found 
a  small  shelf  there,  pretty  low,  so  that  she  couM 
not  only  reach  it,  to  put  things  on  and  take  them 
off,  but  she  could  see  all  over  it. 

There  was  an  inkstand  upon  this  shelf,  and  a 
ruler  and  a  pencil. 

"  Whose  inkstand,  and  ruler,  and  pencil,  are 
these,  Mary  Jay,  on  my  shelf? "  said  Lucy. 

"  They  are  yours,"  said  Mary  Jay. 

^'  I  don't  suppose  I  ought  to  call  you  Mary 
Jay,"  said  Lucy,  "  now  you  are  my  teacher." 

"  Yes,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  call  me  by  that 
name,  just  as  you  always  have  done." 

*'  Am  I  going  to  write  with  pen  and  mk  ?  " 
^aid  Lucy. 

"  Yes,"  sai3  Mary  Jay. 

"  But  I  don't  know  how  to  write  with  pen  and 
ink,"  said  Lucy. 

"  That's  the  very  reason  why  I  got  them  foi 
you,  so  that  you  might  learn.  Children  don't 
come  to  school  to  do  what  they  know  how  to  do 
already." 

"Well,"  said  Lucy. 

So  Lucy  came  away  from  her  closet,  and  sat 
down  be  ore  her  desk. 


82  LUCY'S     STUDIES. 

"  What  am  I  o-oino;  to  learn  first  r  " 

"  Why,  the  first  thing  1  want  you  to  learn,  lo 
to  go  alone  a  little." 

"  To  go  alone  ?  "  repeated  Lucy. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Mary  Jay,  "  intellectually." 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean  by  that,"  said 
Lucy. 

"  Why,  you  know,  when  children  are  very  little, 
they  cannot  walk  at  all  without  somebody  to  take 
hold  of  their  hands  and  lead  them.  After  a  while, 
they  learn  to  go  alone.  Now,  when  they  first  come 
to  school,  it  is  just  so  with  their  progress  in  study. 
They  can't  go  alone  at  all.  The  teacher  has  to 
l^ad  them  all  the  way.  After  a  time,  they  get 
along  a  little  way,  so  that  they  can  study  by 
themselves  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  or  half  an  hour, 
and,  by  and  by,  an  hour,  without  any  help ;  and 
this  is  what  I  call  going  alone.  Now,  when  a 
scholar  gets  so  as  to  go  alone  a  litde  in  her  studies, 
it  is  a  great  deal  easier  to  teach  her. 

"  Now,"  continued  Mary  Jay,  "  my  plan  is  for 
you  to  study  half  an  hour  by  yourself,  if  I  can 
only  contrive  lessons  which  you  can  understand 
without  help  for  so  long  a  time ;  and  that  is  what 
!  call  going  alone." 

"  Well/'  said  Lucy,  "  I  will  try.'* 

*' Ncr*,"  added  Mary  Jay,  "your  first  lesson 


MARY    JAY.  83 

shall  be  to  make  figures  on  your  slate.     1  will  set 
you  a  copy." 

So  Mary  Jay  took  Lucy's  slate,  and,  with  the 
ruler  and  the  slate  pencil,  she  ruled  a  line  along  the 
!;op  of  it,  and  then  made  a  number  of  figures,  vdy 
neatly  and  carefully,  for  Lucy  to  copy.  She  told 
Lucy  to  take  the  ruler,  and  sit  down  at  her  desk, 
and  rule  another  line,  and  then  to  make  some 
figures  exactly  like  the  copy,  and  then  to  rule 
mother  line,  and  so  on  down  the  slate. 

"  1  want  to  see,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  if  you  can 
-^eep  youi-self  busy  doing  that,  without  saying 
a  word  to  me,  for  half  an  hour.  That  will  be 
gomg  alone.  When  the  half-hour  is  out,  I  will 
let  you  have  a  recess." 

Lucy  tried,  but  she  did  not  succeed  very  well. 
She  could  not  rule  her  lines  straight,  and  she 
wanted  to  come  and  show  them  to  Mary  Jay. 
Then,  whenever  she  made  a  bad  figure,  she  would 
sigh,  and  exclaim,  "  O  dear  me !  how  hard  it  is  !  ' 
If  she  made  a  good  figure,  she  wanted  to  jump  up, 
and  come  and  show  it  to  Mary  Jay.  When  the 
time  was  about  half  out,  she  was  very  thirsty,  and 
sne  wanted  Mary  Jay  to  go  out  and  get  her  a  di'ink 
t)f  water.  In  reply  to  all  her  questions  and  coui- 
plaints,  Mary  Jay  always  told  her  to  wait  until 
the  half-nour  was  out  and  she  would  attend  to 


84  Lucy's  studies. 

her.  Even  for  the  drink  of  water,  she  told  hei 
tliat  she  must  wait  until  the  recess. 

When  the  time  which  Mary  Jay  had  assigned 
to  Lucy  had  expired,  she  said  to  her,  — 

"  Now,  Lucy,  it  is  time  for  recess.  So  you 
may  leave  your  slate  upon  the  desk,  and  go  out 
and  play  a  little  while." 

"  Well,"  said  Lucy,  "  only  may  1  first  come 
and  show  you  what  I  have  done  ? " 

"  No,"  saii  Mary  Jay,  "  not  till  after  the 
recess." 

"  Then  shall  I  go  and  put  my  slate  away  first, 
upon  my  shelf?  " 

"  No,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  not  till  after  recess. 
When  you  get  any  directions  from  your  teacher, 
you  must  obey  them  exactly." 

"  Where  shall  I  go  to  play  ?  "  said  Lucy. 

"  O,  you  may  go  out  into  the  yard  and  garden, 
and  see  what  you  can  find  to  amuse  yourself 
mtb  " 


n^ 


CHAPTER    VII. 

THE    RECESS 

Lu:y  went  out  through  the  room  by  which 
ghe  had  entered,  and  came  to  the  door,  where  she 
had  knocked  when  she  came  to  the  house.  The 
door  was  open,  and  she  walked  out.  She  stood 
a  few  mhiutes  upon  the  great,  flat  stone,  which 
served  for  a  step,  considering  which  way  she 
sliould  go. 

Just  then,  she  recollected  that  she  was  thirsty  ; 
and  so  she  went  back  and  asked  Mary  Jay  how 
3he  should  get  a  drink. 

Mary  Jay  told  her  to  go  and  look  under  hei 
shelf  in  her  closet.  Lucy  went,  and  she  found 
a  little  tin  mug  hanging  there  upon  a  nail ;  for 
IMary  J.iy,  like  all  good  teachers,  had  taken  pains 
to  consider  beforehand  what  would  be  necessarv 
for  her  little  pupil,  and  had  provided  for  every 
thing,  so  as  to  prevent  delay  and  trouble  after- 
wards. This  is  always  the  best  way  in  teaching, 
as  well  as  in  every  thing  else. 

"  Now,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  take  that  mug,  and 


86  Lucy's  studies. 

go  out  in  the  yard,  and  around  behind  the  house, 
and  you  will  see  a  small  gate.  Go  through  that 
gate,  and  you  will  see  a  little  building  with  wood- 
bine growing  all  over  it.  There  you  can  get  a 
drhk." 

"  How  ?  "  said  Lucy 

"  O,  you'll  see  when  you  get  there,"  said  Mary 
Jay. 

So  Lucy  took  her  mug  and  walked  along. 
She  found  the  gate  very  easily.  It  was  small 
and  easy  to  open.  When  Lucy  had  passed 
through,  it  shut  of  its  own  accord. 

She  found  herself  in  a  pretty,  green  yard,  next 
to  the  backside  of  the  house ;  and  in  the  corner  of 
this  yard  was  the  little  building  which  Mary  Jay 
had  referred  to.  It  was  small ;  it  had  a  roof  and 
sides,  but  the  front  was  open.  It  was  alm'ost 
covered  and  enveloped  with  woodbine.  There 
was  no  floor,  but  there  came  up  out  of  the  ground, 
inside  of  the  building,  a  small  red  post,  with  a 
litde  stream  of  water  spouting  out  from  it.  Lucy 
went  immediately  to  it,  to  see  what  it  was. 

There  was  a  large,  square  board  upon  the 
ground  before  the  post,  which  looked  like  the 
cover  of  a  box,  buried  in  the  ground.  The 
water  from  the  post  fell  into  a  place  just  behind 
this  box.     She  took  hold  of  tlie  edt^e  of  die  board. 


THE    RECESS.  87 

to  see  if  it  would  lift  up  like  a  cover.     She  want- 
ed to  see  where  the  water  went  to. 

She  found  that  the  board  would  lift  up  like  the 
cover  of  a  box  ;  and  under  it  there  was  a  small, 
square  cistern,  full  of  water.  Lucy  put  the  cover 
down  again  immediately,  partly  because  she  was 
afraid  that  she  might  fall  in,  and  partly  because 
she  happened  to  recollect  that  it  was  not  right  for 
her  to  open  the  cistern  without  leave. 

Then  Lucy  held  her  mug  under  the  stream  of 
water  which  spouted  out  from  the  post,  until  the 
mug  was  full.  Then  she  had  a  good  drink. 
She  afterwards  held  her  mug  under,  and  let  it 
fill  several  times,  pouring  the  water  down  upon 
the  grass.  When  the  water  first  struck  upon  the 
bottom  of  the  muo;,  it  made  a  sort  of  a  drumming 
sound,  which  was  gradually  deadened  as  the  bot- 
tom became  covered  with  water.  Then  Lucy 
would  watch  the  surface  of  the  water  as  it  rose 
slowly,  until  at  length  it  would  run  over  in 
streams,  and  fall  into  the  cistern  below. 

While  Lucy  was  sitting  here,  a  door  which  led 
into  the  back  part  of  the  house,  opened,  and  a 
girl  came  out,  swinging  a  pail  back  and  forth  in 
her  hand.  The  girl  advanced  towards  the  place 
where  Lucy  was,  by  a  path  which  was  well 
irodden.     When    she   reached    the    cistern,    she 


88  Lucy's  studies. 

lifted  up  the  cover ;  and  then,  dipping  the  pail  in, 
she  took  up  a  pail  full  of  water,  and  then  shut 
the  cover  down. 

*'  Well,  Luc}',"  said  she,  "  how  do  3'ou  like  the 
aqueduct  ? " 

"  Is  this  an  aqueduct?"  said  Tiucy. 

*'Yes,"  said  she;  "  here  is  where  we  get  all 
our  water." 

"  Wh}^  don't  you  hold  3"our  pail  under,  and 
catch  the  spouting  ?  "  said  Lucy. 

"  Because,"  said  the  girl,  "  I  can't  wait  long 
enough  for  it.  So  we  have  a  cistern,  which  keeps 
alwaj^s  full,  and  we  can  dip  it  out  of  that." 

So  saying,  the  girl  went  away  towards  the 
house,  carrying  the  pail  upon  one  side,  and  lean- 
ing her  head  and  arm  awa}^  over  to  the  other. 
Lucy  then  thought  that  she  would  go  and  look 
around  the  yard,  and  see  what  else  she  could 
find. 

She  walked  along  towards  the  garden  gate. 
''  I  knew,"  she  said  to  herself,  "  that  Mary  Jay 
would  let  nie  go  in  her  garden,  though  Ro3'al 
said  she  would  not." 

She  opened  the  gate,  and  walked  in.  She 
found  man}'  rows  of  corn,  and  beans,  and  other 
garden  vegetables,  but  not  man}'  flowers.  In  the 
back  corner  were  some  large  sunflowers,  with 
great  bumble-bees  in  them  ;  and  there  were  two 


iHt   re::ess.  89 

or  three  apple-treos,  wkh  a  great  many  apples 
growing  on  the  branches.  Some  were  red,  and 
some  were  of  a  russet-brown. 

Lucy  liked  the  garden  very  much ;  but  she 
began  soon  to  think  that  it  was  time  for  her  lu  go 
in.  So  she  turned  around,  and  began  to  walk 
back  towards  the  o-arden  gate.  She  w  as  walkino: 
now  in  a  path  along  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
garden  from  that  in  which  she  came  in,  and  look 
ing  at  some  large  gourds,  which  were  growing  by 
the  side  of  it,  when  suddenly  she  heard  a  great 
buzzing  near  her.  She  looked  up,  and  saw  that 
there  was  a  hive  of  bees  under  a  little  shed,  by 
the  side  of  the  walk  close  before  her. 

Lucy  was  afraid  to  go  by  the  bees,  and  so  she 
turned  back  to  go  around  some  other  way. 

She  found  that  she  had  to  go  quite  to  die  back- 
side of  the  garden,  before  she  could  get  into 
another  path,  which  would  lead  towards  the  gate. 
Here,  just  as  she  passed  the  end  of  a  row  of  cur- 
rant-bushes, her  attention  was  attracted  by  a 
btile,  or  set  of  steps,  made  of  boards,  which 
was  made  to  get  over  the  fence  by.  Lucy 
thought  that  she  would  climb  up  upon  the  stile, 
and  look  over,  and  see  what  there  was  upon 
the  other   side. 

Slie  found  that  she  could  mount  very  ersiiy, 
8* 


9U  Lucy's  studies. 

and.  when  she  got  up  to  tlie  highest  step  but 
one,  she  could  see  over  into  the  field  beyond 
It  was  a  very  pleasant  place,  and  Lucy  wished 
very  much  that  she  could  go  over.  There  was  a 
path  well  beaten,  which  led  do\\n  a  gentle  de- 
scent, until  it  turned  around  the  point  of  a  rocky 
precipice,  a»nd  disappeared  among  the  trees.  Lucy 
wished  very  much  that  she  knew  where  the  path 
led  to.  She  thought  that  she  could  see  something 
down  among  the  trees,  glimmering  like  light,  re- 
flected from  water. 

But  Lucy  then  thought  that  it  was  quite  time 
for  her  to  go  in ;  and  so  she  got  down  from  the 
stile,  and  walked  along  towards  the  gate.  By 
the  route  which  she  was  now  taking,  she  was  led 
away  from  the  bees,  so  that  she  reached  the  gate 
without  any  difficulty.  Then  she  went  in  and 
took  her  place  at  her  desk  again. 

That  evening,  when  she  went  home.  Royal 
asked  her  how  she  liked  her  school. 

"  Very  much,"  said  Lucy  ;  "  only  there  are  no 
other  children  for  me  to  play  \\  ith." 

"  True,"  said  Royal ;  "  but  you  don't  go  to 
school  to  play,  and  so  that  is  no  hardship." 

-'•  Yes,  it  is  a  hardship,"  said  Lucy,  "  for  I  have 
a  recess,  an  \  I  want  somebody  to  play  with  me 
in  the  recess  " 


THE    RECESS.  91 

"  A  recess ! "  said  Royal  —  "a  recess  for  only 
one  scholar ! " 

"  I  had  a  recess,"  said  Lucy,  "  and  an  excel- 
lent recess  too,  and  you  don't  know  what  I  saw." 

"  What  was  it? "  rejoined  Royal. 

"  A  post,"  said  Lucy,  "  with  water  spouting 
out  of  it." 

"  It  was  a  pump,  I  suppose,"  replied  Royal, 
"  and  the  water  spouted  out  when  you  pumped." 

"  No,"  said  Lucy,  "  it  was  only  a  short  pos» 
about  so  high."  Here  Lucy  held  her  hand  out, 
about  two  feet  above  the  level  of  the  ground,  to 
show  Royal  how  high  the  post  was. 

"  Why,  Lucy,"  said  Royal,  "  water  couldn't 
spout  out  of  a  pump  unless  there  was  something 
to  make  it." 

"  Yes  it  could,"  said  Lucy  ;  "  I  saw  it.  It  was 
nothing  but  a  red  post  so  high." 

Here  Lucy  held  out  her  hand  again,  to  indi- 
cate to  Royal  the  height  of  the  post. 

"  And  what  do  you  suppose  made  the  water 
come  out  ? " 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Lucy  ;  "  only  I  know  that 
there  was  nothing  there  but  a  post,  for  I  saw 
;t  myself.  The  water  came  up  out  of  a  box  in 
ihe  ground." 

"  Hrw  do  you  know  ?  "  said  Roval 


92  Lucy's  studies. 

"Why,  I  saw  it,"  replied  Lucy.  "  I  lifted  uj. 
the  cover  of  the  box,  and  looked  in,  and  it  was 
full  of  water.  I  mean  to  ask  my  father  to  buy 
such  a  post,  and  put  it  in  our  yard." 

"  O  Lucy,"  said  Royal,  with  a  laugh,  "  ii 
couldn't  be — not  unless  there  was  a  lead  pipe, 
or  something  to  come  along  under  the  ground,  for 
the  water  to  run  in." 

••'  No,"  said  Lucy,  "  there  wasn't  any  lead 
pipe  ;  it  was  nothing  but  a  post.     I  saw  it  myself." 

"  There  must  be  a  lead  pipe,"  said  Royal,  very 
positively,  "  under  the  ground,  or  else  the  water 
wouldn't  spout  up." 

Lucy  paused  a  moment,  considering  whether 
what  Royal  said  could  be  true ;  but  at  length  she 
added, — 

'••  Why,  Royal,  there  couldn't  be  any  lead  pipe 
in  the  ground,  because,  if  there  was,  they  would 
have  dug  up  the  grass  around  there,  when  they 
put  it  down.  But  the  ground  was  not  dug  up 
at  all.  It  was  smooth  and  grassed  all  over  the 
yard." 

Lucy  was  wrong.  She  ought  not  to  have 
been  so  positive.  It  is  very  unsafe  for  children 
to  be  positive,  in  saying  what  is  and  what  is  not 
possible.  And  Royal  was  wrong  too.  He  n.ight 
safe.y  have  said,  that  he  presumed  that  there  was 


THE    RECE&S  93 

a  lead  pipe  under  die  ground  ;  but  he  ought  not  to 
iiave  been  so  positive  of  what  he  had  no  means 
of  certainly  knowing. 

The  question  was  not  settled  until  Lucy  went 
to  school  the  next  day.  She  then  asked  Mary 
Jay  about  it. 

"  There  is  a  wooden  pipe,  under  the  orround," 
said  Mary  Jay. 

"  A  wooden  pipe  ?  "  repeated  Lucy. 

"  Yes,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  a  pipe  made  of 
wooden  logs,  with  holes  bored  tlirough  them, 
from  end  to  end.  Then  these  logs  are  put  to- 
gether under  the  ground,  and  thus  they  make  a 
long  wooden  pipe,  and  the  water  comes  through 
that." 

"  Where  does  it  come  from  ?  "  said  Lu«y. 

"  It  comes  from  a  spring,  on  a  hill  benind  ttie 
house.  The  spring  is  pretty  high,  ana  so  the 
water  runs  down  until  it  gets  to  the  post,  and 
then,  as  it  cannot  get  any  farther,  it  spouts  out 
into  th^.  air." 

"  I  thought  it  came  from  the  box  of  watei 
underneath,"  said  Lucy. 

"  No,"  said  Mary  Jay  ;  "  the  war.er  in  the  cis- 
tern comes  out  of  die  post ;  it  does  not  go  into  it 
The  water  spouts  out  from  the  post,  and  keeps 
Uie  cistern  full." 


94  Lucy's  studies. 

"  And  where  does  the  rest  of  the  water  go  to  ?  " 
said  Lucy. 

"  It  flows  along  through  another  pipe,  undei 
ground,  into  a  trough  in  the  barn-yard,  where  the 
cows  go  to  drink." 

Lucy  paused  a  moment,  reflecting  upon  what 
she  had  heard  ;  and  then  she  said,  — 

"  But,  Mary  Jay,  how  could  they  put  the  great 
logs  in  the  ground,  without  digging  up  all  the 
grass  in  the  yard  ?  " 

"  They  did  dig  it  up,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  I 
suppose,  when  they  put  the  logs  down  ;  but  that 
was  several  years  ago,  and  the  grass  has  grown 
up  since." 

"'  O,"  said  Lucy,  "  1  didn't  think  of  that." 

Lucy  paused  again  a  few  minutes,  anu  then 
she  drew  a  long  breath,  and  said,  — 

"  Well,  —  I  knew  the  water  didn't  come  in  a 
>eaden  pipe,  Ht  any  rate,  and  1  told  Royal  so." 


95 


CHAPTER    VIII. 
MARY  JAY'S  INSTRUCTIONS 

After  Lucy  had  been  several  days  in  Mary 
Jay's  schoal,  and  had  learned  to  work  quietly  by 
herself,  for  half  an  hour  at  a  time,  Mary  Jay  said, 
one  day,  that  she  would  go  and  take  a  walk  with 
her  in  the  recess. 

"  Well,"  said  Lucy,  "  and  I  wish  you  would 
go  down  behind  the  garden,  by  the  great  rock, 
and  show  me  where  that  path  leads  to." 

Mary  Jay  assented  to  this  proposal,  and  they 
set  out  together.  Lucy  clambered  over  the  stile 
without  any  trouble,  and  Mary  Jay  hei-self  got 
over  mucii  more  easily  than  Lucy  nad  supposed 
possible.  In  fact,  although  Mary  Jay  appeared 
to  be  very  lame  in  walking,  yet  she  could  walk 
without  any  pain,  and  without  much  inconveni- 
ence to  herself.  The  difficulty  was  rather  ap- 
parent than  real 

Lucy  was  surprised,  therefore,  to  see  how 
readily  Mary  Jay  mounted  the  steps  of  the  stile, 
and  descended  on  the  other  side. 


96  llcy's  studies. 

"  1  believe  1  will  leave  one  of  m}-^  crutc  lies 
here/'  said  she  to  Lucy,  "  and  then  1  can  take 
hold  of  your  hand." 

So  she  led  Lucy  with  one  of  her  hands,  whHa 
she  managed  the  remaining  crutch  with  the  other , 
and  thus  they  walked  along  the  path  which  led 
towards  the  rocky  precipice. 

"  Now,  Lucy,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  I  will  tell 
you  of  some  of  the  difficulties  which  children 
meet  with  in  school.  There  are  three  things, 
which  it  belongs  to  a  good  scholar  to  do,  which 
are  rather  hard." 

''  What  are  they  ?  "  said  Lucy. 

"  To  conunue  to  study  after  you  have  got  tired 
of  study,  to  try  to  do  what  you  think  you  can't 
do,  and  to  obey  orders  when  you  think  they  are 
wrong." 

"When  they  are  wrong?"  replied  Lucy. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Mary  Jay.  "  It  is  pretty  tasy 
to  obey  when  you  think  the  orders  are  right ;  the 
difficulty  comes  when  you  think  the  orders  are 
wrong.  For  example,  there  was  a  boy  once,  and 
his  name  was  Thomas.  He  used  to  hold  his  slate 
pencil  just  as  we  commonly  hold  a  pen.  The 
teacher  told  him  that  that  wasn't  right.  She 
sliowed  him  how  a  slate  pencil  ouglit  to  be  held, 
and  then  she  went  awav  and  left  Thomas  at  hia 


MAR\    jay's    instructions.  97 

ivork.  He  tried  the  teacher's  way,  and  said  to 
himself,  '  This  isn't  half  as  good  a  way  as  mine, 
[  .an  t  make  the  figures  half  as  well.'  Then  he 
'.hanged  his  pencil,  and  held  it  just  as  he  had 
jone  it  before,  that  is,  as  a  pen  is  held." 

''  How  ?  "  said  Lucy. 

'  1  will  show  you,"  said  Mary  Jay.  Then  she 
looked  about  upon  the  ground,  and  found  a  little 
sprig,  which  would  answer  to  represent  a  pen, 
and  she  placed  it  between  the  fingers  of  her  right 
hand,  leaning  upon  her  crutch  while  she  did  it, — 
and  thus  showed  Lucy  how  a  pen  ought  to  be 
held. 

"  And  now,"  said  Lucy,  "  show  me  how  the 
teacher  told  him  to  hold  it." 

So  Mary  Jay  broke  off  a  short  piece  of  the 
sprig,  which  was  of  suitable  length  to  represent  a 
slate  pencil,  and  she  placed  that  between  her 
fingers,  in  such  a  way  as  to  show  how  a  slate 
pencil  ought  tc  be  held. 

"  Now,  Thomas,"  she  continued,  "  when  he 
found  that  he  could  not  work  so  conveniently  b) 
holding  the  pencil  in  the  way  that  the  teacher  had 
directed  him  to  hold  it,  concluded  that  she  must 
have  been  wrong;,  and  so  he  returned  to  his  old 
method." 

"  Method  ?  "  said  Lucy,  ''  what  is  that  ?  " 


98  Lucy's  studies. 

"  The  way,  —  his  old  way  of  holding  it,"  re 
pHed  Maiy  Jay. 

"  And  what  did  the  teacher  say  ?  "  said  Lucy. 

"  Why,  when  the  teacher  came  ,iiere  again," 
said  Mary  Jay,  "  she  found  him  disobeying  her. 
She  said,  '  Why,  Thomas,  I  told  you  not  to  hold 
the  pencil  so.' 

"  '  Yes,'  said  Thomas,  '  I  tried  the  other  wa) 
but  I  found  that  I  couldn't  make  my  figures  s( 
well.' " 

Here  Mary  Jay  paused  a  moment ;  but  Lucy 
did  not  say  any  thing,  and  so  she  proceeded. 

"  Thomas  thought,"  said  she,  "  that  he  was  not 
bound  to  obey  his  teacher,  unless  he  thought  that 
her  directions  were  right.  But  the  truth  is,  that 
children  ought  to  obey  their  parents  and  teachers 
always ;  no  matter  whether  they  think  the  com- 
mands are  right  and  reasonable,  or  not.  It  is 
very  easy  to  obey,  when  you  see  that  the  com- 
mand is  right  and  reasonable ;  but  when  you  do 
not  understand  why  the  command  is  given,  or 
when  it  seems  unreasonable  or  wrong,  then  comes 
the  trial." 

"  I  shouldn't  think,"  said  Lucy,  "  that  the 
teacher  would  want  him  to  make  the  figurevS  the 
hardest  way." 

"  No,"  said  Mary  Jay ;  ''  the  truth  was  this 


Ill|i{illj|i|i|{lllll{yiljlllllli     :  Mffi 

|!||l!!||:|p!li!|ililiil!ili^       ^|j4 


MARY    jay's    instructions.  lOl 

Tnoraas's  way  was  the  hardest,  and  the  teacher' 
the  easiest ;  only  Thomas  liad  heconie  so  accus- 
tomed to  his  method,  that  ne  couldn't  at  once  do 
quite  so  well  in  the  other.  There  are  a  great 
many  things,  which  children  have  to  do,  that  can 
be  done  most  easily  in  one  particular  way,  when 
they  are  once  accustomed  to  that  way.  But 
before  they  are  accustomed  to  it,  it  may  perhaps 
be  harder  than  some  other  way,  which  they  are 
familiar  with.  Children  are  often  told  to  hold 
their  pens,  or  their  knife  and  fork,  or  spoon,  at 
table,  in  a  way  which  seems  to  them  inconveni- 
ent and  troublesome ;  and  so  diey  think  the  com- 
mand is  unreasonable  and  wrong.  They  think 
their  parent  or  teacher  is  mistaken,  and  so  they 
don't  obey.  But  if  they  would  obey,  they  would 
soon  become  accustomed  to  the  proper  way,  and 
then  they  would  find  it  altogether  better  than  theii 
old  habit.  That's  the  philosophy  of  it,  Lucy  ; 
that's  the  philosophy  of  it." 

At  this  time,  they  had  reached  the  rocky  pre- 
cipice, and  the  path  passed  around  near  the  fool 
of  it.  Lucy  looked  up  at  the  rocks,  and  was  a 
litde  afraid  that  they  would  fall  down  upon  her 
head.  Mary  Jay  said,  that  she  had  seen  boys 
climb  up  nearly  to  the  top.  From  this  place,  the 
path  passed  along  among  some  trees,  and  \Aicy 


102  Lucy's  studies. 

and   Mary  Jay  went  on  ;    and,  as  they  walked, 
Mary  Jay  resumed  the  conversation. 

"Then  tliere  is  another  thing,'^  she  added 
•'  which  I  mentioned  —  being  wilhng  to  try  to  dc 
what  you  think  you  can't  do,  or  what  you  can't 
do  verv  well.  Once,  when  I  was  at  a  school, 
there  was  a  girl  that  sat  next  to  me,  and  her 
name  was  Sarah.  The  teacher  was  choosing  i. 
copy  for  her  to  wnte.  He  had  several  in  his 
hands,  and  he  o-ave  her  one  that  had  some  fio-ure?; 
at  the  end  of  it.  Sarah  looked  at  it,  and  their 
carried  it  back  to  the  teacher's  desk,  and  askec 
him  if  he  would  be  kind  enough  to  2:ive  he 
another  copy,  for  that  one  had  figures  at  the  en: 
of  it. 

"  '  Well,'  said  the  teacher,  *  and  why  is  that  &: 
objection  ? ' 

"  '•  Why,  I  can't  make  figures  very  well/  re 
plied  Sarah. 

"  '  Can't  you? '  said  the  teacher. 

" '  No,'  said  Sarah,  '  and  so  I  should  like  t: 
have  a  copy  that  hasn't  got  any  figures  in  it.' 

"  The  teacher  then  began  to  look  over  his  copie^j 
and  Sarah  supposed  that  he  was  endeavoring  tc 
find  one  which  had  no  figures  in  it.  While  he 
was  doing  this,  she  said,  — 

"  *  I   think   TiUcy  Dane  would   like  that  copy 


MARY    JAY  S    INSTRUCTIONS.  103 

very   well,   for   she   can    make    figures    beauti- 
fully.' " 

"Lucy  Dane?"  said  Lucy;  "was  her  name 

Lucy  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  Mary  Jay. 

"  That's  the  same  as  my  name,"  added  Lucy 

"  Presently,"  continued  Mary  Jay,  "  the  teacher 
took  out  a  copy,  which  was  all  figures  from  the 
beginning  of  the  line  to  the  end,  and  handed  it  to 
Sarah. 

" '  There,'  said  he,  '  I  am  glad  you  told  me 
that  you  can't  make  figures  very  well,  for  I  want 
to  have  you  learn ;  so  I'll  give  you  copies  of 
figures  altogether,  for  a  while.  And  as  for  Lucy 
Dane,  I  will  be  careful  not  to  give  her  any  more 
copies  with  figures  in  them,  if  she  can  make 
figures  beautifully  already.' " 

"  Why,  Maiy  Jay  1 "  said  Lucy.  She  was 
quite  surprised  at  this  decision  of  the  teacher. 

"  Children  very  often,"  continued  Mary  Jay, 
"  make  objections  to  do  what  their  teacher  re- 
quires, because  they  say  they  can't  do  it.  They 
forget  that  this  is  the  very  reason  why  they 
should  set  to  work  and  learn.  You  don't  go  to 
school  to  do  over  again  what  you  can  already  do 
very  well,  out  to  learn  to  do  things  which  you 
can't  do  when  you  go. 


104  Lucy's  studies 

"  There  was  another  girl  in  the  same  schoi»l, ' 
''ontinued  Mary  Jay ;  "  and  one  day,  when  the 
teacher  told  us  that  we  must  write  every  other 
page  in  our  writing  books  without  ruling,  in  order 
that  we  might  learn  to  write  straight  without  hues 
to  guide  us,  she  said  that  she  couldn't  write  at  all 
without  ruling. 

"  '  Can't  you  ? '  said  the  teacher ;  '  then  you'll 
have  to  write  every  page  so,  instead  of  every 
other,  until  you  learn  a  little  ;  and  when  you  get 
so  as  to  write  tolerably  straight,  then  it  will  not 
be  necessary  for  you  to  write  so  much  without  a 
guide.' " 

"  What  was  her  name  ?  "  said  Lucy. 

But  Mary  Jay  did  not  have  time  to  answer 
this  question,  for  Lucy  had  hardly  spoken  the 
words,  when  her  eye  caught  a  view  of  quite  a 
little  sheet  of  water  before  her,  under  the  trees 
So  she  left  Mary  Jay,  and  ran  on  towards  it. 

It  was  a  broad  and  shallow  sheet  of  wa- 
ter, made  by  the  expansion  of  a  brook,  which 
flowed  here  over  smooth,  yellow  sands.  A  little 
below  where  they  stood,  the  surface  of  the  water 
was  contracted,  and  the  orook  flowed  over  gravel 
and  small  stones,  with  a  rapid  motion,  and  finaiiy 
fill  down  some  rocks,  making  quite  a  little  water- 


MARY    JAT  S    INSTRUCTIONS.  105 

fall.     Lar^e  trees  overhuns;  the  whole  scene,  and 
made  it  shady  and  cool. 

"  Now,"  said  JMary  Jay,  "  I  will  show  you  my 
seat." 

So  she  led  Lucy  along  up  a  bank,  by  a  naiTOW 
path,  until  she  came  to  a  place  where  were  some 
rocks,  which  were,  like  the  water,  overhung  with 
trees.  Here  there  was  placed  a  long,  flat  stone, 
in  front  of  a  sort  of  wall  or  precipice  of  rock,  in 
such  a  manner  that  the  stone  made  a  very  good 
seat,  and  the  rock  behind  it,  which  was  smooth 
and  inclined  backwards  a  little,  made  a  very  good 
back  to  lean  upon. 

"  Is  this  your  seat  ? "  said  Lucy. 

"  Yes,"  said  Mary  Jay. 

"  Who  made  it  for  you  ?  "  said  Lucy 

"  I  made  it  myself,"  said  Mary  Jay. 

"  Why,  did  you  lift  this  great  stone  ? "  said 
Lucy,  putting  her  hand  down  upon  the  stone  seat 

"  Yes,"  said  Mary  Jay. 

"  I  shouldn't  think  that  you  could  lift  such  a 
great,  heavy  stone,"  said  Lucy. 

"  No,"  replied  Mary  Jay,  "  I  couldn't  have 
lifted  it  exactly.     I  pried  it  along." 

'•  How  did  you  do  it  ?  "  asked  Lucy. 

"  Why,  I  saw  the  stone  lying  a  litde  way  off, 
half  in  the  gi'ound,  and  I  '-vent,  one  day,  and  got 


106  Lucy's  studies. 

my  little  hoe,  which  my  father  bought  for  m« 
when  I  was  about  as  large  as  you  are,  to  hoe  my 
garden  with ;  and  with  diat  I  dug  the  stone  out. 
Then  1  brought  down  a  little  iron  bar,  and  pried 
it  up.  My  sister  put  stones  under  to  keep  it 
from  falling  back  again  into  its  old  place.  At 
last  1  got  it  up  so  high,  that  she  could  put  a  pole 
under ;  and  at  length  we  got  it  entirely  out  of  its 
hole.  Then  we  pried  it  along,  one  end  at  a 
time ;  and  finally  we  got  it  in  its  place,  and  I 
pried  it  up,  and  my  sister  put  the  stones  under 
^'hich  keep  it  up." 

Then  Lucy  looked  under  the  seat,  and  found 
that  at  each  end  there  were  several  flat  stones, 
one  over  the  other,  forming  a  little  pile ;  and  the 
stone  seat  rested  upon  them. 

"■  But,  Mary  Jay,"  said  Lucy,  "  why  didn't 
you  get  your  father  to  come  and  do  it  for  you  ? " 

"  Because,"   said   Mary   Jay,   "  my   father   is 
always  busy  at  his  work ;  and,  besides,  I   knev 
that  I  should  enjoy  my  seat  a  great  deal  more,  t 
do  it  all  myself." 

''  But  then  your  sister  helped  you,"  said  Lucy 

^'  Yes,"  replied  Mary  Jay,  "  my  sister  helped 
me ;  and  she  and  I  own  the  seat  together.  I 
come  down  here  sometimes  to  read." 

"  I  wish,"  said  Lucy,  "  :hat  you  would  let  me 


MARY  jay's   mSTEUCTIOH^S.  107 

come  down  here  sometimes,  and  study  my  les- 


son." 


"  Well,"  said  Mary  Jay,  *'  when  you  get  so 
that  you  can  go  alone,  I  will.  If  3'ou  are  down 
here  there  will  be  nobody  to  watch  you,  or  help 
you  when  you  are  in  diflSculty,  so  that  it  will  be 
of  no  use  for  you  to  come  until  you  can  go  alone." 

After  this,  Luc}^  and  Mary  Jay  walked  slowly 
back  to  the  hoose. 


108 


CHAPTER    IX. 
JUST  SAVED. 

One  morning,  when  Lucy  was  seated  at  her 
desk,  in  Mary  Jay's  room,  the  little  girl  that 
opened  the  door  for  her,  the  first  day  of  her  com- 
ing to  school,  came  in  and  told  Mary  Ja}^  that 
there  was  a  young  gentleman  at  the  door  who 
wanted  to  see  Lucy. 

*'  A  3'Oung  gentleman  ! "  said  Lucj^  astonished. 
She  couldn't  imagine  how  any  young  gentleman 
could  have  called  to  see  her.  She  looked  up  to 
Mary  Jay,  without  saying  a  word. 

*'  Well,  Lucy,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "you  had  bet- 
ter go  and  see  who  it  is." 

So  Lucy  rose ;  but  she  was  somewhat  afraid  to 
go.  However,  she  followed  the  little  girl  out ;  and 
then,  passing  through  the  intervening  room,  she 
went  to  the  front  door ;  and  there  Lucy  found 
that  the  young  gentleman  was  nobody  but  Royal. 
Lucy  laughed  aloud. 

"  What  are  you  laughing  at? "  said  Royal. 


JUST    SAVED.  109 

"  Why,  the  girl  said  that  there  was  a  young 
2:entleman  at  the  door,  who  wanted  'o  see  me." 

"  Well,  I  am  a  young  gentleman,  '  said  Royal, 
"  I'd  have  you  to  know.  But  come,  I  am  going 
to  ride  away  in  a  chaise,  and  my  father  said  that 
I  might  call  and  get  you  to  go  too,  if  Mary  Jay 
was  willinsj." 

So  Lucy  went  in  to  ask  Mary  Jay.  She 
readily  gave  her  consent,  only  she  told  Lucy 
that  she  had  better  take  Royal  about  the  garden 
and  yards  a  little,  and  let  him  see  what  there  was 
to  be  seen. 

Lucy  was  much  pleased  to  adopt  this  plan. 
She  first  took  Royal  to  the  water  post,  as  she 
called  it,  to  let  him  see  the  water  spout  out,  and 
she  told  him  that  the  pipes,  which  conveyed  the 
water  to  it,  were  wooden  pipes,  not  leaden 
ones.  Then  she  conducted  him  into  the  garden, 
and  pointed  out  the  hive  of  bees  to  him,  standing 
at  a  safe  distance.  Then  they  both  clambered 
over  the  stile,  and  went  down  to  the  brook,  where 
Lucy  was  going  to  show  him  Mary  Jay's  seat ;  but 
her  attention  was  aiTested  at  the  sight  of  a  duck 
and  six  small  ducklings,  sailing  about  upon  the 
pond.  Both  Royal  and  Lucy  were  greatly  de- 
lighted at  this  sight.  The  little  ducklings  would 
swim   sbout    and  dabble  with  their  bills  in   the 


110  Lucy's  studies. 

sand,  and  in  the  grass  upon  the  bank,  as  skilfully? 
as  if  they  had  been  practising  half  a  dozen 
}ears. 

"  O,  what  beautiful  little  things  !  "  said  Royal. 
*•  I  wish  I  had  a  duck." 

"  I  didn't  know  that  Mary  Jay  had  any 
ducks,"  said  Lucy. 

Some  of  the  ducks  were  nearly  black,  and 
some  were  yellow ;  they  were  all  covered  with  a 
silky  down,  instead  of  feathers,  with  a  little  tuft 
on  each  side,  in  the  place  of  wings.  Their  litde 
web  feet  were,  however,  perfectly  formed,  and 
were  smooth  and  glossy.  Lucy  saw  one  very 
plainly,  when  one  of  the  ducks  was  running  on 
the  bank. 

After  some  time,  the  children  left  the  pond 
and  the  ducks,  and  went  up  to  the  house  again ; 
and  then  Lucy  got  into  the  chaise  with  Royal, 
and  rode  away.  They  rode  about  two  miles, 
when  Royal  did  his  errand,  and  then  they  re- 
turned home.  Royal  left  Lucy  at  her  school 
again,  as  there  was  some  more  school  time  yet 
left ;  and,  besides,  Lucy  wanted  to  ask  Mary  Jay 
something  about  the  ducks. 

When  she  came  into  the  school-room,  howeTer, 
Mary  Jay  said  to  her,  — 

"  Well,  Lucy,  have  you  had  a  pleasant  ride?  *' 


JUST    SAVED.  Ill 

**  Yes,"  said  Lucy,  '^  we  went  over  the  bridge, 
and » 

Lucy  was  going  on  to  describe  her  ride,  bu': 
Mary  Jay  said  that  it  was  her  study  hours,  and 
that  she  had  better  sit  right  down  to  her  studies, 
and  when  she  had  finished  her  lesson,  then  she 
should  like  very  much  to  hear  about  her  ride. 

"  You  see,"  continued  Mary  Jay,  "  that  it  will 
be  better  for  us  not  to  lose  any  more  time  than  is 
necessary,  when  you  go  away  to  ride ;  for  then 
your  father,  when  he  finds  it  doesn't  make  much 
interruption,  will  let  you  go  the  often er." 

Lucy  accordingly  sat  down  at  once  to  her 
work,  and  studied  industriously  upon  her  spelling 
lesson,  until  the  time  had  expired.  Then  she  told 
Mary  Jay  about  her  ride,  and  afterwards  asked 
her  about  the  ducks. 

"The  ducks!"  repeated  Mary. Jay;  "where 
did  you  see  them  ?     Down  in  the  brook  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  Lucy,  "  a  duck,  and  six  little 
ducklings." 

"  Why,  Lucy,"  said  Mary  Jay,  apparently 
much  surprised,  and  starting  up  to  take  her 
imitches.  "Then  my  ducklings  are  hatched 
out." 

"  Didn't  you  know  it  ? "  said  Lucy. 

"  No,"  said  Mary  Jay ;  "  let  us  go  and  see  " 


112  Lucy's     STUDIES. 

So  Mary  Jay  and  Lucy  hastened  out  into  the 
yard.  From  the  yard  they  passed  into  the  gar 
den,  and  from  thence  over  the  stile.  They  fol 
lowed  the  path  down,  until  they  came  to  the 
water;  and  here  Mary  Jay  seemed  to  be  even 
more  pleased  that  Royal  and  Lucy  had  beeuj 
to  see  her  little  ducklings. 

"  I  didn't  know  that  they  were  hatched,"  said 
Mary  Jay  ;  ''  the  duck  has  been  sitting  for  some 
time,  but  I  didn't  think  that  she  could  find  her 
way  down  here  alone,  with  all  the  little  ducklings. 
Let's  see  —  how  many  are  there?  " 

"  Six,"  said  Lucy  ;  "  Royal  and  I  counted 
them." 

"  One,  two,  three,  four,  five,  —  and  that  little 
black  one  on  the  bank  makes  six,"  said  Mary 
Jay.     "  But  there  ought  to  be  seven." 

"  Why  ?  '^  said  Lucy. 

"  Because,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  there  were  seven 
eggs.     Let  us  go  to  the  nest  and  see." 

So  Mary  Jay  and  Lucy  went  back  towards 
the  house.  They  went  through  the  garden  and 
the  yard  beyond,  where  the  aqueduct  was  situ- 
ated, and  thence  they  passed  into  another  yard, 
where  there  was  a  barn  and  a  shed. 

"  I  don't  see  how  tlie  little  ducklings  could  get 
over  all  these  fences,"  said  Lucy. 


JUST     SAVED.  113 

"  INo,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  they  didn't ;  there  is 
another  way  for  them  to  go.  I  will  show  it  to 
you  presently." 

They  now  came  into  a  shed,  where  there  was 
a  cart  and  a  watjon  ;  and  in  one  corner  there  was 
a  sleigh,  which  had  been  stored  away  there  foi 
the  summer.  Mary  Jay  looked  under  tLj  sleigh, 
and  Lucy  stooped  down  and  looked  under  too. 

There  was  a  nest  made  of  hay  under  the  back 
corner  of  the  sleigh,  with  several  egg-shells  lying 
ahoiit  it ;  in  the  nest  was  one  ess  remainmjj, 
which  seemed  to  be  whole. 

"  There  is  one  ^gg^^  said  Mary  Jay  ;  "  couldn't 
you  creep  under  and  get  it,  Lucy  ?  Stop  a  minute, 
and  1  will  put  something  down  for  you  to  kneel 
upon." 

So  Mary  Jay  took  the  seat  out  of  the  sleigh, 
which  was  a  smooth  board,  like  a  box  cover, 
and  she  put  it  down  upon  the  ground  between 
the  two  runners.  Then  Lucy  crept  in  upor 
this,  going  in  in  front ;  and  when  she  came  to 
the  end  of  the  seat,  she  found  that  she  could 
just  reach  the  egg.  She  took  it  up,  and  wa£ 
oringing  it  out,  when  suddenly  she  dropped  it, 
appearing  to  be  frightened. 

"  What  is  the  matter? "  said  Mary  Jay. 

"  Why,  1  heard  it  peep,"  said  Lucv. 
10* 


114  Lucy's  studies. 

"  Did  you  ?  "  said  Mary  Jay  ;  "  then  there  musJ 
be  a  little  duckling  in  it  alive.  Take  it  up  very 
carerullv\  and  brino;  it  out  to  me." 

So  Lucy  took  up  the  egg  again,  and  crept  out 
oajckward.  and  handed  it  to  Mary  Jay.  Then 
she  came  out  entirely,  and  stood  up  before  Mary 
Jay  to  see  the  egg.  It  was  cracked  and  broken 
by  the  fall. 

"  Put  the  seat  back  in  its  place,  Lucy,"  said 
Mary  Jay,  "  and  then  we  can  gel  into  the  sleigh, 
and  sit  down." 

So  Lucy  put  the  seat  back  in  its  place,  and 
they  both  stepped  in  and  sat  down.  Then  Mary 
Jay  began  carefully  to  pull  off  the  pieces  of  the 
shell. 

"  Are  you  going  to  take  the  little  duckling 
out  ?  "  asked  Lucy. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Mary  Jay ;  "  but  I  don't  be 
lieve  it  will  hve." 

"  Why  not  ?  "  said  Lucy. 

"  Because,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  it  is  so  tendei 
and  young.  You  see  it  is  not  fledged  yet,  and  it 
ought  to  be  kef*,  warm ;  but  the  old  duck  has 
gone  away  with  the  others,  and  so  she  will  not 
take  care  of  it ;  and  it  is  not  grown  enough  to 
5Wiin  about  in  the  water." 

By  this  time,  Mary  Jay  had  got  the  little  duck 


JUST    SAVED.  I \6 

liiiir  out,  and  neld  it  in  her  hand.  He  was  partly 
covered  with  a  coarse  sort  of  bristles,  the  rudi- 
ments of  fiiture  feathers.  He  peeped  a  little,  but 
he  could  not  stand,  or  hold  up  his  head.  He  lay 
extended  upon  Mary  Jay's  hand,  almost  lifeless 
and  cold. 

"  How  shaggy  he  looks !  "  said  Mary  Jay. 

"  Shaggy  ?  "  repeated  Lucy. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Mary  Jay ;  "  he  looks  more 
like  a  young  porcupine,  than  like  a  duck." 

"  L-et  me  hold  him  in  my  hand,"  said  Li>cy. 

So  Mary  Jay  gently  placed  him  in  Lucy's 
hand. 

"  Now  put  your  other  hand  over  him,"  said 
Mary  Jay. 

"  What  for  ?  "  said  Lucy. 

"  To  keep  him  warm,"  said  Mary  Jay. 
"  One  of  your  hands  will  be  a  bed,  and  the  other 
a  blanket." 

"  We'll  go  in  and  give  him  something  to  eat," 
said  Lucy. 

"  No,"  replied  Mary  Jay,  "  it  is  warmth,  not 
food,  that  he  wants." 

So  Mary  Jay  walked  along  towards  the  house, 
and  ^ucy  followed  her,  carrying  the  duckling  very 
carefully,  covering  it  with  her  right  hand,  though 
she  took  care  not  to  press  her  hand  down  upon  it 


116  Lucy's  studies. 

hard  enough  to  hurt  it.  When  they  got  into  the 
house,  Mary  Jay  got  a  little  basket,  not  much  largei 
than  a  lea-cup,  and  lined  the  bottom  of  it  with 
cotton.  Then  she  put  in  the  duckling,  and 
covered  him  over  with  cotton. 

"  O  Mary  Jay,"  said  Lucy,  "  you'll  stifle 
him." 

"  No,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  he  has  more  air  to 
breathe  than  he  had  in  the  egg-shell ;  the  great 
thing  is  to  keep  him  warm." 

When  Mary  Jay  had  got  the  little  duckling 
comfortably  established  in  his  basket,  she  went 
out  into  the  kitchen,  and  put  the  basket  in  a 
pretty  warm  corner,  and  left  him.  Then  she 
told  Lucy  that  it  was  time  for  her  to  go  home. 

"  Do  you  think  that  the  duckling  w^ill  live  ? " 
said  Lucy. 

"  No,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  I  am  afraid  not  — 
but  we  can  tell  by  the  time  you  come  to  school 
to-morrow  morning." 

When  it  was  time  for  Lucy  to  come  home  from 
her  school  the  next  day,  Royal  went  out  to  the 
door  to  watch  for  her ;  for  Lucy  had  told  hiirj 
about  the  duckling,  and  he  was  very  eager  to  heai 
whether  it  was  alive  or  not.     After  waitin"-  some 

o 

linie,  he  caught    a    glimpse    of  Lucy's    bonnet, 


jnST     SAVED.  11 


n 


tnrouiih  the  trees,  as  she  w^s  coming  alono-  the 
road.  Whe;\  she  had  advanced  so  far  as  to  come 
into  full  view,  he  saw  that  she  had  a  hltle  basket 
m  her  hand,  which  she  was  bringing  along  very 
carefully. 

"  Lucy,"  said  Royal,  calling  out  aloud  to  her, 
"'  what  have  you  got  there  ?  " 

Lucy  looked  up,  and,  seeing  Royal,  began  to 
mn  along  a  little,  very  gendy,  towards  him ; 
but  she  checked  herself  immediately,  finding  that 
it  shook  die  basket  too  much.  So  she  contented 
herself  with  walking  as  fast  as  she  could,  calling 
out  at  the  same  time,  in  reply  to  Royal,  — 

"  I've  got  the  Htde  duckling.     Mary  Jay  has 


given  it  to  me." 


By  this  time  Royal  had  run  up  to  where  she 
was,  very  eager  to  look  in  and  see  the  litde 
duckling. 

"  Is  it  alive,  Lucy  ?  "  said  he.     "  Is  it  alive?  " 

''  \  es,"  said  Lucy  ;  and  she  moved  away  a  litde 
of  the  cotton,  and  let  Royal  lock  in.  The  duck- 
ling held  up  its  head,  and  began  to  peeu.  It  was 
alive,  and  pretty  strong,  and  covered  with  a  soft, 
»ilky  down,  like  the  ducklings  which  Royal  and 
Lucy  had  seen  in  the  water. 

•'  You  said  he  was  all  covered  with  bristles." 
said  Royal 


1 18  Lucy's  studies. 

"  Yes."  replied  Lucy,  "  but  they  have  all 
gi'own  out  into  feathers." 

'*  O  Ijucy,"  said  Royal,  "  what  a  beautiful 
hide  duckling !  I  wish  I  had  it.  Didn't  she  give 
*t  partly  to  me  ?  To  me  and  you  together,  1 
guess  it  was,"  he  added. 

"  No,"  replied  Lucy,  "  to  me  alone.  She  gave 
it  altogether  to  me." 

"  Well,"  said  Royal,  "  I  wish  you  would  let 
me  own  it  with  you  ; "  and  then  he  added,  after 
a  moment's  pause,  "  I'll  make  you  a  duck  pondj 
Lucy ;  you  must  have  a  duck  pond." 

"  You  can't  make  a  duck  pond,"  said  Lucy. 

"  O  Lucy  1  yes  I  can,"  replied  Royal. 

"  Big  enough  for  him  to  swim  in  ?  "  said  Lucy 

"  Yes,"  replied  Royal,  "  plenty  big  enough." 

"  Well,"  said  Lucy,  "  but  where  will  yo^i 
make  it  ? " 

"  O,  any  where  —  wherever  you  want  it." 

Lucy  still  had  some  doubts  whether  Royal  could 
really  make  a  duck  pond  ;  but,  as  she  wanted  very 
much  to  see  the  little  duckling  swim,  she  finally 
concluded  to  agree  to  Royal's  proposal,  and  to 
let  him  own  it  with  her,  provided  he  would  make 
a  pond 


119 


CHAPTER   X. 

DIYER. 

Royal  commenced  his  pond  that  afternoon, 
though  the  commencement  of  the  pond  was  the 
commencement  of  difficulties  between  him  and 
Lnc}'  respecting  their  agreement ;  for  Lncj^ 
after  getting  Joanna  to  give  the  duckling  a  little 
meal  and  water,  according  to  Mar}^  Jay's  direc- 
tions, and  leaving  him  safe  in  Joanna's  care  in  the 
kitchen,  went  out  into  the  yard,  and  found  Royal 
at  work  getting  out  a  large  box,  which  was  behind 
the  barn.  The  box  was  about  as  large  every  wa}' 
as  a  common  bureau  drawer,  being  prettj'  long 
and  broad,  but  ver}^  shallow. 

' '  What  are  3^011  going  to  do  with  that  box  ? 
said  Lucy. 

"  I  am  going  to  make  your  duck  pond  with  it, 
said  Royal. 

"  I  don't  see  how  3'ou  are  going  to  make  a 
duck  pond  with  a  box,"  said  Lucy. 

"  Wh}',  you  see,"  said  Royal,  ''  I  am  going  to 
dig  a  square  hole  in  the  ground,  in  a  corner  of  the 


» 


» 


120  lucy's  studies. 

yard,  and  set  Lais  box  down  in  it,  and  then  1  am 
going  to  pour  water  in  it,  and  so  make  the  duck 
pond.'* 

"  But  that  won't  be  big  enough/'  said  Lucy. 

"O  yes,"  said  Royal,  "it  will  be  plenty  big 
enough  for  such  a  little  duckling  as  ours.  He  can 
swim  about  in  it  a  great  deal." 

"  It  is  not  yours  and  mine,"  said  Lucy ;  "  ft  is 
nine  alone." 

"  Yes,"  said  Royal,  "  it  is  part  mine  ;  you  saiQ 
if  I  would  make  you  a  duck  pond,  you  would  let 
me  own  it  with  you." 

"  Yes,  I  said  I  would  give  it  to  you,  after  you 
had  made  the  duck  pond  ;  but  I  haven't  given  it 
to  you  yet." 

"  Yes,  but,  Lucy,  I  am  going  to  make  the  Juck 
pond.     I  am  doing  it  as  fast  as  I  can." 

"  It  won't  be  big  enough,"  said  Lucy.  "  1 
meant  a  duck  pond  as  big  as  Mary  Jay's." 

"  O  Lucy,  I  could  not  possibly  make  such  a 
big  duck  pond  as  that.     That  is  a  great  brook." 

"  Yes,"  said  Lucy,  "  and  so  I  told  you.  I  told 
you  that  you  couldn't  make  such  a  duck  pond 
as  I  wanted." 

Royal  insisted  that  the  bargain  was  fairly  made, 
and  that  he  only  agreed  to  make  a  duck  pond  big 
BHOUirh  for  a  duck  to  swim  in.     And  now  he  sa'd 


DIVER.  121 

that  it  was  not  fair  for  Lucy  to  take  back  jiei 
promise,  and  that  he  meant  to  go  on  and  finish 
the  pond,  and  then  he  should  certainly  have  half 
the  duck  for  his. 

But  Lucy,  on  the  other  hand,  contended  that 
she  meant  a  large  duck  pond ;  whereas  Royal 
was  only  going  to  make  a  box  full  of  water. 
After  considerable  discussion,  they  very  properly 
agreed  to  refer  the  case  to  Miss  Anne.  They 
both  promised  to  abide  by  her  decision. 

They  found  Miss  Anne  swinging  herself  at  a 
swing,  near  the  back  part  of  the  garden.  After 
hearing  a  full  account  of  the  case  from  each  of 
the  parties.  Miss  Anne  said,  — 

"  It  is  rather  a  difficult  case  to  decide.  Noth- 
ing was  said  about  the  size  of  the  duck  pond  in 
the  bargain,  but  yet  Lucy  says  she  meant  a  large 
one;  and  it  is  highly  probable  that  she  did. 
Now,  it  is  hard  for  her  to  lose  her  duck,  in  a 
bargain  which  she  did  not  mean  to  make.. 

"  But,  then,  on  the  other  hand,''  continued  Miss 
Anne,  "  Royal  honestly  understood  her  to  mean 
a  duck  pond  of  any  size,  and  so  he  began  in  good 
faith  to  fulfil  his  agreement ;  and  now  it  is  rather 
hard  for  him  to  be  disappointed,  and  lose  his 
;^ork." 

"Why,  Miss  Anne,"  said  Lucy,  "be  hasn*t 


122 


luct's  studies. 


done  any  work ;  he  has  only  taken  out  the 
box.'' 

"That  is  something,"  said  Miss  Anne,  "and 
then  the  disappointment  is  a  good  deal ;  so  that 
It  is  a  hard  case  to  decide." 

She  paused  for  a  few  moments,  considering  the 
case,  and  then  she  added,  — 

"  You  see.  Royal  —  do  you  not  ?  —  that  your 
claim  is  a  somewhat  doubtful  one  ? " 

"  Why,  I  think,"  said  Royal,  "  that  it  was  a 
fair  bargain ;  and,  besides,  to  make  a  small  duck 
pond  will  be  as  much  as  the  duckling  is  worth." 

"  Still,  that  was  not  her  understanding,  and  so 
the  case  is  somewhat  doubtful.  Now,  sometimes, 
in  such  a  case,  where  a  man  has  a  claim  which 
he  perceives  is,  after  all,  a  doubtful  one,  and  the 
other  party  is  not  willing  to  allow  it,  he  will  not 
insist  upon  it.  We  all  have  just  claims,  wh'ch, 
considering  all  the  circumstances  of  the  case  we 
do  not  wish  to  insist  upon." 

"  Hovv  ?  "  said  Royal. 

"  Why,  suppose,  for  instance,  that  I  should  lend 
a  book  to  Mary  Jay,  and,  while  it  was  at  her  house, 
it  should  accidentally  get  mjured." 

"But  Mary  Jay  is  very  careful  of  books,"  said 
liucy. 

"  1  have  10  doubt  of  that,"  replied  Miss  Anne 


DIVER.  123 

"but  then  an  a/xident  might  happen.  A  little 
child  mi-gbt  get  it." 

"But  there  are  no  little  children  there,"  per- 
sisted Lucy. 

"  No  matter,"  replied  Miss  Anne  ;  "  we  can 
certainly  make  the  supposition,  that  the  book  got 
injured." 

Lucy  thought  that,  even  as  a  mere  supposition, 
the'  idea  that  a  book  could  get  injured,  while 
under  Mary  Jay  s  care,  was  wholly  inadmissible. 
However,  she  said  no  more,  and  Miss  Anne  pro- 
ceeded. 

"  Now,  if  that  were  the  case,"  continued  Miss 
Anne,  "  I  should  have  a  claim  upon  Mary  Jay  to 
buy  me  another  book.  If  any  body  borrows  any 
thing,  and  it  gets  injured  while  in  her  care,  she  is 
bound  to  get  another ;  so  I  should  have  a  fair 
and  just  claim  upon  her ;  but  I  should  not  insist 
upon  it.  I  should  not  wish  her  to  buy  me  another 
book.  It  would  be  a  just  claim,  but  yet  I  should 
not  insist  upon  it. 

"  Now,  cases  of  this  kind  very  often  happen," 
she  continued,  "  where  persons  have  just  claims, 
which  they  prefer  to  yield,  rather  than  to  insist 
upon.  Now,  you  think,  in  this  case.  Royal,  that 
you  have  a  just  claim  upon  Lucy  ;  but,  perhaps, 
considering  all  the  circumstances  of  the  case,  you 


124  Lucy's  studies. 

will  conclude  that  you  will  not  insist  upon  it 
That  v'ill  settle  the  whole  question ;  and  I  shall 
be  saved  the  necessity  of  deciding  whether  thf 
share  of  the  duck  is  justly  vours  or  not." 

"  Well,"  said  Royal,  after  a  moment's  pause^ 
"  on  the  whole,  I  don't  care  much.  I  believe 
I'll  make  the  duck  pond,  and  you  may  have  the 
duck  yourself,  Lucy,  pond  and  all." 

Lucy  was  highly  gratified  at  Royal's  generosity, 
m  giving  up  his  claim  so  pleasantly,  and  they 
went  together  out  into  the  yard. 

Royal  then  proceeded  with  his  work.  He  dug 
a  square  hole  in  the  comer  of  the  yard,  and  put 
the  earth,  which  came  out  of  it,  into  his  litde 
wheelbarrow,  and  wheeled  it  away,  reserving  one 
wheelbarrow  load.  Then  he  put  the  box  into  its 
place,  and  rammed  in  the  earth  which  he  had  re- 
served, compactly,  all  around  it. 

"  And  now,"  said  Lucy,  "  are  you  going  to  put 
the  water  in  that  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Royal. 

"  I  don't  think  it  will  be  a  very  good  duck 
pond,"  said  Lucy. 

"  Why  Dot?  "  asked  Royal. 

"  Because,"  said  Lucy,  "  the  sides  are  so 
steep,  that  my  little  duck  can't  get  out.'* 


DIFER.  125 

"  Ah,  you'll  see  that  he  can  get  out,  when  it  is 
done." 

"  But,  Royal,"  said  Lucy,  "  what  good  does  it 
do  to  put  in  the  box  ?  Why  don't  you  pour  the 
water  right  into  the  hole." 

"  Because,"  said  Royal,  "  it  would  all  soak 
away  into  the  ground.  The  sides  of  the  box 
will  keep  the  water  from  soaking  away  so  much." 

"  Ir  will  soak  away  through  the  cracks,"  said 
lucy. 

"  No,"  said  Royal,  "  I  shall  stop  up  the 
cracks." 

Accordingly,  when  Royal  had  finished  placing 
his  box  in  the  ground,  and  had  packed  the  earth 
in  tight  all  around  it,  he  went  away  with  his 
wheelbarrow  to  a  bank  at  some  distance,  down  in 
the  field,  where  there  was  some  clay,  and  he 
brought  a  little  of  this  in  his  wheelbarrow  to  the 
spot.  He  worked  this  clay  over  all  the  seams, 
and  into  the  corners  of  the  box,  ramming  it  down 
hard. 

"  There,"  said  he,  "  now  the  water  can't  get 
through.  Clay  is  water-tight.  Water  can  go 
tlirough  sand,  but  it  can't  get  through  clay." 

"  Is  that  what  you  mean  by  water-tight  ? " 
asked  Lucy. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Royal.     "  After  I  have  made 
11* 


126 


Lucy's  studies. 


my  box  water-tight,  with  clay,  then  1  am  goii.g 
to  put  sand  in." 

"  What  is  that  for?  "  said  Lucy. 

"  You  will  see,"  replied  Royal. 

So  Royal,  when  his  clay  was  all  crowded  into 
its  place,  around  the  bottom  of  the  box,  took  his 
wheelbarrow  again,  and  went  after  a  load  of  sand 
and  gravel.  He  had  to  go  to  some  distance  for 
this ;  but  he  succeeded  at  length  in  getting  as 
much  as  he  could  wheel,  of  pretty  clean  sand  and 
pebble-stones. 

This  load  he  put  into  the  box,  and  he  disposed 
of  the  sand  and  gravel  iff  such  a  way,  as  that  it 
filled  the  box  nearly  full  around  the  sides,  leaving 
a  deep  place  in  the  middle.     Then  he  went  to 


get  some  water. 


He  brought  pailful  after  pailful,  until  he  had 
filled  up  his  little  pond  level  with  the  top.  The 
water  was  somewhat  turbid  immediately  after  he 
had  poured  it  in  ;  but  he  told  Lucy  that  in  a  little 
while  it  would  subside  and  be  clear. 

*'  It  will  settle,"  said  he,  "  while  I  am  making 
the  duck  house." 

"Are  you  going  to  make  a  duck  house  too?  " 
asked  Lucy. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Royal ;  '•  for.  pretty  soon,  you 
^ee,  the  duck  will  be  big  enough  to  live  out  of 


DIVER  12' 

dix>rs5    and   then    you    will    want    a    house    foi 


him." 


So  Royal  went  and  go!,  another  box.  It  was 
chaped  like  a  trunk,  and  about  as  large,  only  it 
had  no  cover.  Royal  brought  this,  and  placed  it 
at  one  end  of  his  duck  pond,  laying  it  down  upon 
its  side,  so  that  the  open  part  was  towards  the 
pond. 

"  There,"  said  he,  "  that  will  do  for  a  house, 
only  the  top  ought  to  be  slanting." 

"  What  for  ?  "  said  Lucy. 

"  Why,  for  the  roof,  —  so  that  the  water  will 
run  off  when  it  rains." 

"  Well,  Royal,"  said  Lucy,  "  we  can  tip  it 
back  a  little,  and  that  will  make  the  top  slanting. 
Then  you  can  put  a  stone  under  one  side,  to  keep 
it  so." 

"  No,"  replied  Royal,  "  for  that  will  make  the 
bottom  slant  back  too.  You  see  the  floor  ought 
to  be  level,  and  only  the  roof  slant  back.  But  J 
know  what  I  can  do." 

Saying  this,  Royal  went  away,  and  got  a  short 
board,  a  little  larger  every  way  than  the  upper 
board  of  the  box.  This  he  placed  over  the  box 
in  an  inclined  position.  This  was  for  a  roof. 
The  back  part  of  the  roof —  that  is,  the  part  which 
was  away  from  the  pond  —  rested  directly  upon  the 


128  Lucy's  studies. 

box.  The  front  part — that  is,  the  part  which  was 
towards  the  pond,  which  was,  of  course,  to  be 
raised,  in  order  to  make  the  roof  slant  backward 
—  Royal  supported  by  a  narrow  board,  which  he 
placed  under  this  edge  to  keep  it  up.  He  nailed 
the  roof  securely  in  its  place. 

When  it  was  finished,  there  was,  of  course,  a 
space  between  the  upper  part  of  the  box  and  the 
roof.  Royal  said  that  this  was  the  duck's  garret. 
"  And  now,"  said  he,  "  for  the  yard." 

"  What !  are  you  going  to  make  a  yard  ?  " 
asked  Lucy. 

"Yes,"  said  Royal,  "he  must  have  a  yard,  or 
else  he  will  run  away.  But  while  I  am  making 
a  yard,  Lucy,  you  must  go  into  the  barn,  and  get 
a  little  hay,  and  make  him  a  nest." 

So  Lucy  went  into  the  barn,  and  got  some 
hay,  while  Royal  took  his  wheelbarrow,  and 
went  away  to  find  some  boards  for  the  yard.  He 
brought  three  or  four  boards,  and  with  these  he 
made  a  yard.  The  boards  were  about  six  feet 
long.  He  placed  them  upon  the  ground,  upon 
their  edjres.  Each  board  made  one  side  of  the 
yard.  He  nailed  them  together  at  the  four  cor- 
ners. One  of  the  boards  passed  directly  behind 
the  duck  house ;  the  others  extended  on  each 
side,  and  forward,  so  as  to  enclose  the  duck  pond 


DIVER.  129 

and  considerable  space  besides,  so  tbat  the  duck 
could  come  out  of  his  house,  and  either  swini  in 
his  pond,  or  else  walk  about  upon  the  ground 
just  as  he  pleased ;  only  he  could  not  get  over 
the  boards,  so  as  to  run  away. 

"  That  is  a  beautiful  duck  yard,"  said  Lucy^ 

"  only  I  wish  there  was  a  door  for  me  to  opeii,  tc 

J) 
go  m. 

"  O,  you  can  step  right  over  it,"  said  Royal. 

"  Yes,"  said  Lucy,  "  I  know  I  can  step  ovei 
It ;  but  I  should  like  a  door." 

'*  Well,"  said  Royal,  "  I  will  see  if  I  can  con- 
trive some  way  to  make  a  door." 

Royal  then  went  and  got  a  small  block  of 
wood,  which  he  brought  to  the  duck  yard,  and 
put  it  down  before  it,  close  to  the  board  upon  onp 
side.     When  he  had  it  properly  placed,  he  said,  — 

"  There,  Lucy,  that  will  do  for  a  step,  and  you 
can  step  up  by  that,  and  so  get  over  easily  ;  and 
you  can  call  that  a  door.     Won't  that  do  ?  " 

Lucy  said  that  it  would  do  very  well  ;  and  she 
stepped  over  by  means  of  her  step,  and  back 
again,  several  times  She  said  it  made  a  very 
(yQ^)d  door  indeed. 

By  the  time  that  all  this  had  been  doing,  the 
«*'ater  in  the  litde  pond   had  become  quite  clear. 


130  LUCY'S    STUDIES. 

and  Lucy  could  see  that  it  had  a  smooth,  sandy 
bottom.  So  they  both  wanted  lO  bring  the  duck 
out,  and  see  it  swim.  Lucy  was  afraid  that  it 
was  too  little  to  swim  ;  but  Royal  insisted  that  a 
duck  could  swim  just  as  quick  as  it  could  get 
out  of  the  shell.  Lucy  said  that  she  meant  t-o 
ask  Joanna ;  and  they  accordingly  both  went  into 
the  house  to  ask  Joanna  if  it  would  do  to  put 
their  little  duck  into  the  water. 

Joanna  said  that  she  thought  he  could  swim,, 
and,  at  any  rate,  that  she  would  go  out  with  them, 
and  carry  him,  and  see.  Then  they  all  went  out 
together. 

Joanna  said  that  she  liked  the  pond,  and  the 
house,  and  the  yard,  all  very  much  indeed. 

"  But  I  think,"  she  added,  "  that  it  would  be 
better  to  keep  the  little  duck  in  the  hwise  at 
night,  for  a  while,  where  he  can  be  kept  warm, 
until  he  gets  a  little  older.  Then,  in  the  day- 
time, while  the  sun  is  out,  you  can  keep  him  here 
in  his  house ;  and  then,  after  some  time,  when  ho 
gets  older  and  stronger,  you  can  let  him  stay  in 
his  house  all  the  time,  day  and  night." 

So  saying,  Joanna  gendy  put  ^he  duck  down 
upon  the  edge  of  his  pond,  in  order  to  see  what 
he  would  do.     He  ran  rio;ht  into  it  at  once,  and 


DIVER.  133 

iiiiniedlately  began  to  swim  about  as  dexterously 
as  if  he  had  been  accustomed  to  the  water  as 
lona:  as  his  mother  had  been. 

"  He  can  swim  !  "  exclaimed  Lucy ;  "  see. 
Royal !  he  can  swim  !  " 

The  duck  then  beo-an  to  dabble  with  his  bill  in 
the  sand,  upon  the  margin  of  the  water.  Then 
he  took  up  a  little  water,  and  held  his  bill  up  to 
let  the  water  run  down  his  throat.  Then  he 
looked  up  with  one  eye  towards  Royal  and  Lucy, 
and  then  he  swam  across  the  pond  again,  and 
went  to  dabbling  in  the  sand  upon  the  ether  side. 

"O  ducky,"  said  Royal,  "what  a  cunning 
little  rogue  you  are  !  " 

"  Let's  give  him  something  to  eat,"  said  Lucy. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Joanna,  "  I  brought  him  a  little 
piece  of  bread  ; "  and  so  saying,  she  proceeded 
to  crumb  her  bread  upon  the  ground,  near  the 
duckling.  He  came  out  upon  the  bank,  and 
began  to  pick  up  some  of  the  small  crumbs  im- 
mediately ;  and  then  he  turned  around,  and  jumped 
into  the  water  again,  and  swam  away,  striking  the 
water  from  beneath  him  with  his  little  web  feet. 
Joanna  laughed  heartily  at  his  comical  move- 
ments; and,  after  looking  at  him  for  a  few  minutes, 
she  left  him  with  the  children,  and  went  back  to 
the  house. 


134  LUCY^S    STUDIES. 

The  children  let  the  duck  swim  about  in  his 
pond  for  more  than  an  hour,  while  they  remained 
near,  sometimes  watching  his  motions,  and  some- 
times playing  at  a  little  distance  from  his  house 
and  yard.  They  had  some  conversation  about 
his  name.  Several  names  were  talked  of,  but 
finally  they  concluded  to  call  him  Diver.  They 
gave  him  as  much  bread  as  they  thought  he  ought 
to  have,  and  then  Royal  put  the  remainder  of  the 
pieces,  which  Joanna  had  brought  out,  in  Diver's 
garret,  which  he  said  would  be  a  fine  place  to 
keep  his  provisions  in. 

"  Yes,"  said  Lucy,  "  1  think  it  will  be  an  ex- 
cellent place,  and  I  am  much  obliged  to  you, 
Royal,  for  making  me  such  a  good  duck  pond, 
and  house,  and  yard.  1  am  very  glad  to  have  it. 
It  is  a  great  deal  better  than  I  expected  that  it 
would  be.  And  I  believe,  on  the  whole,  that  I 
shall  let  you  own  Diver  with  me.  We  will  own 
him,  and  his  house,  and  his  yard,  and  his  pond^ 
all  together." 

"  Yes,"  said  Royal,  "  so  we  will." 

The  children  went  in  and  told  Miss  Anne  how 
they  had  settled  the  business,  and  she  said  that 
she  was  glad  of  it.  "  It  is  much  better,"  she  said, 
•  to  arrange  such  affairs  in  a  spirit  of  kindness  and 
good-will,  than  for  each  pajty  to  insist  upon  his  oi 


DIVEE.  lUt) 

her  claims,  and  have  the  case  decided  as  a  dispute 
between  them  ;  and  I  am  verj^  glad  that  you  have 
settled  it  in  an  amicable  manner." 

' '  AYhat  do  you  mean  by  amicable  ? "  asked 
Luc}". 

''''Friendly"  replied  Miss  Anne. 


136 


CHAPTER    XL 

A  CONVERSATIOiq'. 

After  Luc}^  had  been  at  school  for  some  days, 
and  had  learned  a  little  how  to  study  by  herself, 
and  to  follow  Mary  Jay's  directions,  Mary  Jay 
asked  her,  one  day,  if  she  knew  what  her  mother 
wanted  her  to  study.  She  said  that  she  didn't 
know.  '^Then,"  said  Mary  Jay,  '^  I  wish  that 
you  would  ask  your  mother,  and  tell  me  to- 
morrow." 

Lucy  did  ask  her  mother,  and  her  mother  con- 
sulted her  father.  The  result  of  their  conversation 
was,  that  they  should  lilie  to  see  Mary  Jay  about 
Lucy's  studies  ;  and  they  concluded  to  invite  her 
to  come  that  evening  and  take  tea  with  them, 
and  then,  after  tea,  they  would  have  time  to  talk 
about  it. 

Royal  wished  to  go  and  bring  Mary  Jay  in  the 
chaise,  as  she  couldn't  walk  very  well ;  and  his 
father  said  that  that  would  be  an  excellent  plan. 
Lucy  invited  her  when  she  went  to  school  that 
morning  ;  and  in  the  afternoon,  when  it  was  time 


A    CONVERSATION.  137 

ior  her  to  come,  Royal  and  Lucy  went  for  her  in 
the  chaise. 

The  first  thing,  after  Mary  Jay  arrived,  was  to 
take  her  out,  and  let  her  see  the  duck  pond  and 
house.  Mary  Jay  was  veiy  much  pleased  indeed ; 
and  she  said  that,  when  her  ducklings  grew  up,  she 
would  give  them  another,  and  then  they  would 
have  a  pair. 

Royal  wished  that  Mary  Jay  would  give  them 
the  other  duckling  then,  so  that  they  might  bring 
them  up  together;  but  he  didn't  think  that  it 
would  be  proper  for  him  to  ask  it,  and  so  he  only 
said  that  he  and  Lucy  would  be  very  glad  indeed 
to  have  a  pair. 

After  tea  that  evening,  Lucy's  father  ana 
mother,  and  Mary  Jay,  sat  down  to  talk  about 
Lucy's  studies. 

''  I  believe,"  said  Lucy's  father,  "  that  teachers 
have  often  very  wrong  ideas  about  the  proper 
studies  for  children.  The  question  is,  not  what 
studies  are  the  easiest,  but  what  can  be  pursued 
to  best  advanta":e.  Now,  there  are  some  things 
which  children  can  learn  thoroughly,  as  far  as  they 
learn  them  at  all,  and  others  that  they  cannot 
learn  thoroughly." 

*'  Not  if  they  are  thoroughly  taught  ? "  said 
Mary  Jay. 


138 


Lucy's  studies. 


"  No,"  said  he,  "  because  they  cannot  be 
thoroughly  taught;  for  the  very  things  tnat  the 
study  relates  to,  are  such  that  they  cannot  really 
appreciate  them.  Take  history,  for  example.  If 
a  child,  like  Lucy,  is  to  study  history,  she  reads, 
perhaps,  in  her  book,  that  a  rebellion  broke  out, 
and  the  leaders  of  it  beheaded  the  king.  Now, 
she  may  commit  the  words  to  memory,  it  is  true, 
and  recite  the  lesson  fluently ;  but  she  cannot 
have  any  adequate  idea  of  the  truth,  because  the 
elements  of  it  are  beyond  her  capacity." 

"  I  don't  understand  one  word  that  you  say," 
said  Lucy. 

"  Why,  if  you  read  in  a  book  of  history,"  said 
her  father,  "  that  a  rebellion  broke  out,  and  that 
the  leaders  of  it  beheaded  the  king,  you  cannot 
really  understand  it,  because  you  cannot  under 
stand  what  a  rebellion  is,  or  what  the  leaders  are, 
or  even  what  a  king  is." 

"  Why,  father,"  said  Lucy,  "  I  know  what  a 
king  is  already ;  and  Mary  Jay  could  tell  me  the 
other  things." 

"  What  is  a  king  ?  "  asked  her  father. 

"  Why  he  —  he  —  is  a  kind  of  man,  and  he 
li/es  in  a  great  palace;  —  and  he  makes  people 
obey  him,  I  believe,"  said  Lucy. 

Her  father  did  not  say  any  thing  in  reply  to  her 


A    CONVERSATION.  139 

description  of  a  king;  but  Mary  Jay  saw  very 
clearly,  that  she  could  not  possibly  have  any  thing 
more  than  a  very  inadequate  and  childish  idea  of 
d  king, 

"  It  is  so  with  all  the  ideas,"  ontinued  her 
father,  addressing  Mary  Jay,  "  which  history 
Drings  before  the  mind.  They  are  greatly  com- 
plicated, and  of  very  extended  and  intricate  rela- 
tions, so  that  young  children  cannot  possibly  ap- 
preciate them.  If  you  tell  them  that  Columbus 
discovered  America  in  1492,  they  can  learn  the 
words  ;  but  they  are  utterly  unable  to  appreciate 
the  truth.  They  cannot  form  any  conception  of 
America,  or  of  Columbus,  and  the  date  1492 
marks  no  era  of  the  world  in  dieir  minds." 

"  Well,  sir,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  but   isn't  it  so 
with  all  studies  ?  " 

"  No,  by  no  means,'^  replied  Lucy's  father. 
"  The  truths  of  arithmetic  a  child  can  appre- 
ciate as  fully  and  completely  as  any  person 
Three  from  ten  leaves  seven.  Now,  a  child  may 
be  longer  in  learning  that  than  a  grown  person ; 
but  when  she  once  undei-stands  it,  she  undei-stands 
it  as  perfectly  as  any  mind  can.  The  reason  is, 
that  the  idea  of  three  is  a  simple  idea,  which,  if  it 
»j5  formed  at  all  'n  the  mind,  is  formed  fully  at 


140 


LUCY  S    STUDIES. 


once.  But  the  idea  o;'  a  rebellion,  or  of  a  kingj 
or  an  army,  is  a  complicated  idea,  which  can  be 
acquired  only  slowly,  and  after  some  years  of  ex- 
perience of  life,  of  reading  and  observation." 

"  What  are  some  of  the  other  studies,"  asked 
Mary  Jay,  "  besides  arithmetic,  which  children 
can  learn  to  advantage  ?  " 

"  Reading  is  one.  A  child  who  learns  what 
the  sound  is,  that  is  represented  by  the  character 
S,  knows  the  truth  as  completely  and  thoroughly 
as  Sir  Isaac  Newton  could  have  known  it.  Then 
there  is  writing,  including  spelling." 

"  Spelling  belongs  to  reading,  father,"  said 
Lucy. 

"  You  learn  the  art  of  spelling,  generally,  with 
reading ;  but  we  use  it  only  with  writing,"  replied 
her  father. 

"  How  ? "  said  Lucy. 

"  Why,  the  chief  reason  why  we  learn  to  spell 
is,  so  as  to  be  able  to  spell  the  words  correctly 
when  we  are  writing.  We  do  not  spell  the  words 
when  we  read.  Therefore,  to  be  able  to  spell  is 
rather  a  part  of  the  art  of  writing,  than  of  reading 
In  reading,  the  scholar  must  be  able  to  pronounce 
all  the  words  which  she  finds  already  spelt ;  and 
m  writing,  she  must  be  able  to  spell  them  again." 


i    CONVERSATION.  141 

**  Is  geogra^ihy  another  study  ? "  said  Mary 
Jav. 

"  Geography,  one  would  at  first  think,  would 
oe  one  of  the  studies  which  a  child  could  learn 
thoroughly  ;  but,  on  reflection,  we  shall  see  that 
the  elementary  ideas,  which  that  study  brings  to 
the  mind,  are  beyond  the  grasp  of  very  young 
children.  They  have  no  ideas  of  distance,  and 
of  course  can  have  no  adequate  conception  of  the 
earth,  or  of  continents,  oceans,  mountains.  It  is 
impossible  to  carry  the  mind  of  a  very  young 
child  away  from  the  lines,  and  dots,  and  crooked 
configurations  of  the  map,  to  the  vast  forms  of 
real  land  and  water,  represented  by  them.  We 
all  carry  with  us  to  the  end  of  life  absurd  and 
ridiculous  ideas  of  some  regions  of  the  earth's  sur- 
face, which  we  obtained  from  our  maps,  when  we 
were  children.  But  a  child  cannot  very  well 
form  an  absurd  or  ridiculous  idea  of  the  number 
ten,  or  of  the  letter  5,  or  of  the  mode  of  spelling 

"  Well,  father,"  said  Lucy,  "  I  know  what  a 
mountain  is,  at  any  rate." 

"  What  is  it  ?  "  said  her  father. 
"  It  is  a  great,  high  hill." 
"  How  high  is  it  ? "  said  her  father. 
'  O,  it  is  very  high."  said  Lucy,  reaching  up 


142 


LUCY  S     STUDIES. 


with  her  hand  ;    "  very  high,  indeed.      Highei 
than  this  house." 

"  Is  it  as  high  as  a  tree  ? "  said  her  father. 

"  Yes,"  said  Lucy,  "  i  great  deal  higher  than 
a  tree." 

"  Is  It  as  high  as  the  steeple  of  a  church  ? " 
asked  her  father. 

"  Why,  I  don't  know,"  answered  Lucy.  "  I 
don't  know  that  it  is  quite  so  high  as  the  steeple 
of  a  church." 

Mary  Jay  smiled ;  but  Lucy's  father  only 
said  that  it  was  true  that  church  steeples  were 
sometimes  very  high.  Mary  Jay  saw  how  inade- 
quate all  Lucy's  ideas  of  the  magnitude  of  moun- 
tains were ;  for,  in  fact,  the  principal  mountains 
of  the  world  are  as  much  higher  than  the  steeple 
of  a  church,  as  the  house  that  Lucy  lived  in  was 
higher  than  her  duck  house.  In  fact,  Lucy  was " 
entirely  unable  to  form  any  conception,  when  she 
heard  the  word  mountain,  of  the  vast  and  complica- 
ted idea  expressed  by  it,  —  including  the  immense 
and  towering  elevations,  the  forests,  the  rocks, 
and  the  glaciers,  —  the  broken  ranges,  the  chasms 
and  valleys,  and  the  lofty  summits,  bare,  and  deso- 
late, and  cold.  Her  idea  of  a  mountain  was  only 
that  of  a  great  green  hill. 

"  Then,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  you  would  rathei 


A    CONVERSATION.  141^ 

have  Lucy  not  study  any  thing,  but  what  she  can 
learn  thoroughly  —  reading,  spelling,  writing,  and 
aiithrneticw" 

"  No,"  replied  Lucy's  father,  "I  did  not  sa) 
exactly  that ;  I  wouldn't  forbid  her  making  a  be- 
ginning upon  geography  or  history,  —  if  we  can 
get  some  suitable  book, — by  way  of  variety,  and 
to  give  her  a  litde  introduction  to  these  studies. 
But  I  want  her  main  time  and  attention,  for 
several  years,  to  be  directed  to  the  other  studies, 
which  she  can  pursue  to  advantage.  Remember 
that  every  step  she  takes  in  learning  the  three 
great  arts,  of  reading,  writing,  and  arithmetic,  is  a 
step  taken  well  and  thoroughly,  —  but  tliat  what- 
ever ground  she  gees  over  in  history,  geography, 
or  philosophy,  or  any  such  study,  is  gone  over  in 
a  very  superficial  manner ;  and  that  all  the  ideas 
she  forms  are  childish,  inadequate,  and  oftentimes 
entirely  incorrect  or  absurd." 

Mary  Jay  was  very  much  interested  in  what 
Lucy's  father  had  been  saying ;  but  Lucy  did  not 
understand  it  very  well,  and,  as  she  could  not 
understand,  she  had  gradually  ceased  to  pay  any 
attention,  and  was  now  thinking  of  a  plan  of  get- 
ting Royal  to  carry  Diver  down  to  the  brook, 
which  was  at  some  distance  behind  the  house,  th<= 


144  Lucy's  studies. 

uext  day,  and  let  him  swim  there ;  and  just  as  her 
father  had  finished  the  last  remark,  she  said,  — 

"  Father,  may  Royal  and  I  carry  Diver  down 
to  the  brook  to-morrow  ?  " 

"  Diver  ?  "  repeated  her  father ;  "  who  is 
Diver  ? " 

"  O,  haven't  you  seen  Diver  yet,  father?  — 
Come  out  then,  and  see  him.  Mary  Jay  gave 
him  to  us." 

This  was  the  first  time  that  her  father  had  heard 
of  Diver.  He  allowed  Lucy  to  take  him  by  the 
hand,  and  to  lead  him  out  to  Royal's  duck  pond. 
He  was  very  much  pleased  with  it,  indeed,  and 
with  Diver's  motions  and  frolics  in  the  water. 
He  said  that  he  did  not  know  before  that  a  young 
duck  was  such  a  pretty  thing.  He  took  it  up,  and 
looked  at  its  little  web  feet,  which  he  admired 
exceedingly,  and  said  that,  if  he  was  an  engineer, 
he  would  attempt  to  construct  paddles  for  a  steam- 
boat on  the  same  principle. 

"  I  should  think  that  they  would  strike  the 
bottom  in  shallow  water,"  said  Mary  Jay. 

"  And  get  broken,"  said  Lucy. 

"  So  they  would,"  replied  her  father.  "  I  didn^l 
tliink  of  that ;  did  I?" 


A   CONYEESATION.  145 

Mar^^  Ja}^  got  into  the  chaise  again,  and  Ro^-al 
drove  her  home  ;  and  on  the  wa}',  she  determined 
to  devote  nearl}'  all  Lnc3''s  time  in  school  to 
making  as  much  and  as  thorough  progress  as 
possible  in  the  great  fundamental  branches  of 
reading,  writing,  spelling,  and  arithmetic. 
13 


146 


CHAPTER    XII. 

INTERRUPTION. 

One  afternoon,  Lucy  went  to  see  her  cousin 
Rollo.  Rollo  was  3'ounger  than  Lucy,  being 
then  about  four  or  five  3'ears  old.  Luc}"  was  six 
or  seven.  She  was  going  to  spend  the  evening 
at  her  uncle's,  and  Ro3'al,  her  brother,  was  to  come 
for  her  in  the  chaise  about  half-past  eight  o'clock. 

Before  tea,  Luc}'  and  Rollo  had  been  playing 
with  picture-books.  Lucy  sat  upon  a  cricket 
before  a  little  book-case,  looking  at  the  books. 
Rollo  had  a  stick  for  a  gun,  and  was  marching 
about,  stopping  occasionall}-  to  make  believe  fire 
his  gun.  He  did  not  care  much  about  the  pic- 
ture-books, as  he  had  seen  them  a  great  mau}^ 
times. 

After  tea,  Rollo's  father  went  into  a  little  back 
parlor,  where  he  had  been  writing,  and  Rollo  and 
Lucy  returned  to  the  little  book-case.  They  had 
a  lamp  now,  for  bj'^  this  time  it  was  dark.  Rollo 
wanted  Lucy  to  make  him  a  little  cap,  so  that  he 


INTERRUPTION  147 

could   play   soldier   better.     He   had  a   feather 
which  he  told  her  she  could  put  into  it. 

So  Lucy  took  a  piece  of  paper,  which  was  in 
the  book-case,  and  cut  a  narrow  strip,  which  she 
put  around  Rollo's  head  like  a  band,  and  pinned 
the  ends  together.  Then  she  contrived  to  faster 
the  feather  in  at  the  side  of  it.  Rollo  said  it 
would  do  very  well  for  a  cap,  and  he  went 
marching  about  and  firing  his  gun. 

liucy  found  that  she  could  not  see  very  well ; 
50  she  followed  Rollo  out  into  the  entry.  She 
wanted  to  see  where  he  was  gohio-.  Rollo 
inarched  along  until  he  came  to  tlie  door  leading 
into  his  father's  back  parlor.  He  opened  the  door 
and  went  in.  Lucy  remained  at  the  door,  look- 
ing to  see  what  he  would  do. 

Rollo's  father  was  seated  at  a  table  near  the 
window,  with  his  back  to  the  door,  writing  very 
busily  ;  and  he  paid  no  attention  to  Rollo,  bui 
went  on  with  his  work.  Rollo  marched  back- 
wards and  forwards,  imitadng  the  sound  of  a 
tmmpet  with  his  lips,  and  stopi)ing  occasionall)f 
to  point  his  stick  towards  his  father,  or  towards 
Lucy,  and  say,  Bapg,  as  if  he  was  shooting  them. 

"  Come  in,  Lucy,"  said  Rollo. 

"  No,"  said  liucy,  in  a  low  tone,  and  shaking 
her  head. 


148  LUUf'fe    STUDIES. 

"  Yes,"  said  Rollo,  "  come  in  ;  my  father  will 
let  us  coine  in." 

But  Lucy  was  afraid  of  interrupting  her  uncle, 
and  so  she  did  not  come  in,  immediately ;  but 
finding,  at  length,  that  her  uncle  went  on  with  biS 
work  without  appearing  to  pay  any  attention  to 
Rollo,  she  presendy  glided  in,  and  took  her  seat 
upon  a  sofa  which  was  upon  the  side  of  the  room 
opposite  to  where  her  uncle  was  sitting. 

Presently  Rollo's  father  paused  in  his  work, 
and  laid  down  a  ruler,  which  he  had  been  using 
in  copying  a  plan  into  a  letter  that  he  had  been 
writing,  upon  the  table.  He  then  rose  from  his 
seat,  and  turned  around  to  look  at  Rollo.  Rollo 
immediately  began  to  march  back  and  forth  again, 
trumpeting  with  his  lips,  and  shooting  at  his  fa- 
ther with  his  gun. 

"  Come,"  said  his  father,  "  I  think  I  should 
like  to  have  the  enemy  march  out  of  my  king- 
dom." 

"  Why,  father,"  said  Rollo ;  "  Vm  not  the 
enemy." 

"  O,"  said  his  father,  "  I  thought  it  was  the 
enemy." 

"  Yes,  come,  Rollo."  said  Lucy ;  "  we  had 
better  go  out." 


INTERRUPTION.  149 

"  No,"  said  Rollo ;  ^'  mayn't  we  stay  here 
father  ? " 

While  Lucy  and  Rollo  were  saying  thl>,  Mr. 
Holiday  had  gone  to  his  secretary,  and  opened  it, 
and  was  taking  down  a  bundle  of  papers. 

"  Why,  1  am  afraid,"  said  he,  "  that  you  will 
interrupt  me.  1  am  engaged  in  some  very  per- 
plexing work." 

"  No,  sir,  we  won't,"  said  Rollo.  "  We  will  be 
ever  so  still.  I'll  put  my  gun  away,  and  my 
cap.  Lucy,  you  take  out  my  feather,  and  then 
I'll  take  off  my  cap,  and  we'll  put  it  away,  and 
come  and  sit  down  upon  the  sofa,  and  be  still,  and 
look  at  father's  great  picture-book.  May  we 
have  your  great  picture-book,  father  ? " 

"  Why,  I  have  no  objection,"  said  his  father, 
"to  your  having  the  great  picture-book  ;  but  then 
[  am  very  certain  that  you'll  intenTjpt  me  if  you 
stay  here." 

Rollo's  father  talked  very  indistinctly  as  he 
said  this,  for  his  pen  was  across  his  mouth,  both 
hands  being  occupied  in  turning  over  the  file  of 
papers  whish  he  had  taken  down  from  the 
secretai-v. 

At  length,  he  took  his  seat  at  the  table  again. 
and  began  to  write,  oaying,  however,   before  he 

13* 


150  Lucy's  studies. 

began,  that  Rollo  and  Lucy  might  see  11'  (hey 
could  stay  in  his  room  without  intenupting  him. 

"  Come,  Lucy,"  said  Rollo,  "  let  us  go  and  get 
my  little  table  to  put  up  by  the  sofa,  and  then 
we  can  put  the  great  picture-book  upon  it,  and 
then  sit  upon  the  sofa,  and  look  at  the  pictures." 

They  accordingly  went  off  to  get  the  table. 
It  was  a  small,  square  table,  with  a  drawer  in  it. 
It  was  just  high  enough  for  Rollo  and  Lucy,  and 
so  light  that  it  was  very  easy  to  carry  about. 
Rollo  took  hold  of  one  side,  and  Lucy  of  the 
other,  and  they  brought  it  into  the  room  very 
easily. 

"  Now,"  said  Rollo,  looking  about,  "  now  for 
a  light." 

He  observed  that  there  were  two  lamps  upon 
his  father's  table,  and  so  he  went  up  to  the  table 
abrupdy,  saying,  — 

"  Father,  will  you  be  good  enough  to  let  us 
have  one  of  your  lights  ?  " 

"  There,"  said  his  father.  "  I  thought  thai 
)0U  would  come  pretty  soon  and  interrupt  me." 

"  But,  father,"  said  Rollo,  "  we  can't  see  with- 
out a  light." 

"  No,"  said  his  father  ;  "  that  is  true,  no  doubt ; 
but  it  does  not  make  it  any  the  less  an  Interrup- 
tion to  me  for  you  to  come  and  ask  me  for  one." 


INTERRUPTION.  151 

"  Well,  but,  father,"  said  Rollo,  roving  back 
slowly,  and  speaking  in  a  disappointed  tone, 
^  then  1  don't  see  what  we  shall  do." 

"  I  thought  you  had  a  light  yourselves,  by 
your  book-case." 

"  O  yes,"  said  Lucy,  "  so  we  did.  I'll  run 
and  get  it,  Rollo." 

So  Lucy  jumped  up,  and  ran  off  after  the  light, 
while  Rollo  went  to  get  the  great  picture-book. 

What  Rollo  called  the  great  picture-book  was 
a  very  large  and  heavy  volume,  in  his  father's 
library,  which  contained  a  great  many  large  and 
beautiful  pictures.  His  father  never  allowed  him 
to  carry  it  out  of  the  room,  but  sometimes  let  him 
put  it  in  a  chair,  and  turn  over  the  leaves  very 
carefully,  to  see  the  pictures.  Rollo  took  this  book 
down,  which  he  accomplished  without  much  diffi- 
culty ;  for  it  was  on  the  lower  part  of  the  book- 
case, not  very  far  from  the  floor.  He  cairied  it  to 
the  little  table,  and  pretty  soon  after  Lucy  came 
in  with  a  light. 

But  here  an  unexpected  difficulty  occuried. 
The  book  was  so  large  that,  when  it  was  opened, 
it  covered  the  whole  top  of  the  table,  and  so 
there  was  no  room  for  the  lamp. 

*•  Move  the  book,"  said  Lucy. 


152  LL  JY  S    STUDIES, 

Rollo  moved  It  as  far  as  he  could,  but  there 
v\^as  scarcely  room  for  the  lamp  to  stand. 

"No,"  said  Lucy,  "that  won't  do.  The 
lamp  will  get  knocked  off  the  table,  and  will  fall 
upon  the  carpet." 

"  No  it  won't,"  said  Rollo ;  «  I'll  watch  it." 

"  But  I'm  afraid  to  have  it  there,"  said  Lucy. 
"  By  and  by,  we  shall  push  the  book  against  it, 
and  knock  it  over;  and  then  my  aunt  will  be 
very  sorry  indeed." 

"  No,  but,  Lucy,"  said  Rollo,  in  a  very  posi- 
tive tone,  "  I  tell  you  I'll  watch  it." 

Here  Rollo's  father  turned  around  again,  and 
said,  "  Now,  children,  you  are  interrupting  me 
again." 

"  Well,  father,"  said  Rollo,  "  it  is  because  our 
fable  is  not  big  enough." 

Yes,"  said  his  father,  "  I  see  the  reason,  and 
I  don't  blame  you  particularly ;  only  I  have  not 
time  now  to  attend  to  you,  and  it  interrupts  me 
to  hear  of  your  difficulties.  I  wish  you'd  go  into 
the  front  parlor,  and  amuse  yourselves  there." 

"  Well,  come,  Rollo,"  said  Lucy,  "  let  us  go." 

"I'd  rather  stay  here,  sir,"  said  Rollo,  in  a 
supplicating  tone.  "  If  you'll  only  tell  us  how 
we  can  put  our  light,"  he  continued,  "  then  we 


INTERRUPTION. 


153 


shall  not  interrupt  you  again.     We  shall  dot  have 
any  thing  to  interrupt  3^ou  for." 

"Well,"  said  his  father,  "Til  do  that,  and 
then  I'll  keep  an  account,  and  after  you  have 
interrupted  me  three  times  more,  you  must  gc 
out.     Will  you  agree  to  that  ?  " 

RoUo  and  Lucy  both  said  that  they  would 
agree  to  that,  and  so  Mr.  Holiday  left  his  work, 
and  went  over  to  the  sofa.  He  saw  at  once  that 
the  table  «vas  not  large  enough  to  render  it  safe 
to  put  the  lamp  and  the  book  upon  it  together. 
So  he  brought  a  chair,  and  placed  it  near  to  the 
little  table,  and  then  laid  the  book,  open,  upon 
the  chair.  The  chair  was  placed  so  near  to  the 
table  that  the  light  shone  down  upon  the  book. 

"  Now,"  said  he,  "  children,  you  must  go  and 
get  a  couple  of  crickets,  or  one  long  one,  and  put 
before  the  chair  for  your  seats.  So  the  crickets 
will  serve  for  your  chairs,  the  chair  for  your  table, 
and  the  table  for  your  light-stand." 

They  accordingly  went  and  got  the  crickets, 
and  they  found  that  the  arrangement  answered 
very  well.  They  could  see  the  pictures  distinctly, 
'ind  there  was  no  danger  now  that  tne  lamp 
would  fall  down.  Mr.  Holiday  laid  out  a  small 
piece  of  paper  upon  the  comer  of  his  taole,  and 


154  liLTcy's  studies. 

said  that,  every  time  that  they  interruptef)  him 
in  any  way,  he  should  make  a  mark  upon  thai 
paper,  and  that,  as  soon  as  there  were  three  marks 
made,  they  must  go  out. 

The  children  turned  ovei  the  leaves  of  the 
great  book  very  carefully  for  some  time,  and  were 
much  amused  by  them.  Rollo  was  greatly  de- 
lighted at  the  picture  of  a  dog  standing  on  his 
head ;  and  he  talked  and  laughed  about  him  with 
a  great  deal  of  glee.  Lucy  said,  "  Hush  !  "  to  him 
several  times,  for  she  was  afraid  that  he  wou.d 
make  so  much  noise  that  her  uncle  would  be 
inteiTupted,  and  make  a  mark  against  them  But 
he  seemed  to  take  no  notice  of  it. 

At  last,  they  got  through  the  book,  and  Rollo 
shut  it  up  and  put  it  away.  They  then  did  not 
immediately  know  what  to  do  next ;  but  very 
joon  Lucy  said  that,  if  she  only  had  a  pencil  and 
a  piece  of  paper,  she  would  draw  Rollo  a  house 
Royal,  she  said,  had  showed  her  how. 

"  Only,"  said  she,  "  this  chair  would  not  bo 
a  good  table  to  draw  upon." 

The  chair  was  what  is  commonly  called  a  cane- 
bottomed  chair.  The  seal  was  made  of  narrow 
strips  of  ratan,  woven  together  in  such  a  way  as 
to  leave  a  great  many  curious  o*»-tacroiial  intt  rstires 


INTERRUPTION.  155 

This  did  not  prevent  its  answering  a  very  good 
purpose  as  a  support  for  a  book  ;  but  it  was  j)lain 
that  it  would  not  do  at  all  to  write  upon. 

"  I  know  how  to  manage,"  said  Rollo. 

He  said  no  more,  but  went  immediately  to  a 
comer  of  the  room,  where  there  was  a  small 
space  at  the  end  of  the  secretary,  and  he  pulled 
out  a  smooth  pine  board,  about  as  wide,  and 
twice  as  long,  as  the  top  of  his  little  table.  He 
brought  this  out  with  an  air  of  great  satisfaction, 
and  they  placed  another  chair  at  a  little  distance 
from  the  one  which  they  had  been  using  as  a 
table,  in  such  a  manner  that  he  could  rest  this 
board  upon  the  two  chairs,  one  end  of  the  board 
upon  each. 

"  That's  a  good  smooth  table,"  said  Lucy. 
"  What  is  this  board  made  for?  " 

"  It  is  one  my  father  has.  He  uses  it  for  a 
great  many  things,"  said  Rollo.  "  When  he  makes 
me  a  litde  book,  he  pares  the  edges  upon  it." 

"  Why  does  not  he  do  it  on  his  table  ? "  asked 
Lucy. 

"  Because,"  said  Rollo,  "  then  his  knife  would 
cut  through  down  to  the  table,  and  so  cut  the 
cloth." 

Rollo  then  went  and  got  some  paper  out  of  a 
drawer  where  he  knew  that  there  was  some  kept, 


156  Lucy's  studies. 

and  where  he  often  weni  to  get  some  for  hia 
mother.  But  then  he  had  no  pencil ;  so  he  wenl 
over  to  his  father's  table,  and  said,  — 

"  Father,  do  you  know  where  there  is  a 
pencil  ?  —  two  pencils  ?     We  shall  w  ant  two." 

His  father  did  not  answer  his  question,  but 
quietly  took  up  the  piece  of  paper  which  he  had 
placed  upon  the  corner  of  the  table,  and  made  a 
mark  upon  it,  saying,  at  the  same  time,  — 

"  There's  one  interruption." 

"  Why,  father,"  said  Rollo,  "  we  only  want 
two  pencils,  and  I  thought  that  you  could  just 
tell  us  if  you  knew  where  there  are  any." 

"  That  makes  tivo  interruptions,"  said  his  fa- 
ther.    "  One  more,  and  you'll  have  to  go  out." 

Rollo  looked  confounded ;  he  turned  round, 
and  walked  slowly  away,  with  a  very  anxious 
expression  of  countenance. 

"  Don't  you  know  where  you  can  find  any 
pencils  yourself?  "  asked  Lucy. 

"  No,"  said  Rollo. 

Then  he  walked  back  slowly  towards  his 
father's  table,  but  was  very  careful  not  to  say 
a  word,  or  make  any  noise,  so  as  not  to  make  an 
interruption.  His  father  had  often  told  him  that, 
when  he  was  busy,  he  ought  not  to  speak,  but 
r-ome  and  stand  quietly  by  his  side,  until   he  was 


INTERRUPTION.  157 

spoken  to.  So  he  thought  he  would  adopt  this 
plan  at  this  time.  He  went  up  cautiously  to  the 
table,  standing  round  in  such  a  position  tiiat  his 
father  could  see  him ;  and  there  he  remained  still, 
waiting  for  his  father  to  look  up  and  ask  him  what 
'le  wanted. 

His  father  waited  a  few  minutes,  and  then 
looked  up.  But,  to  Rollo's  grief  and  consterna- 
tion, instead  of  asking  him,  as  usual,  what  he 
wanted,  he  took  up  the  paper,  and  made  another 
mark  upon  it,  saying, — 

"  There's  the  third  interruption." 

Rollo  could  barely  articulate  the  words,  "  Now, 
father,"  and  then,  overcome  with  grief  and  disap- 
pointment, he  turned  around,  and  burst  into  tears. 

"  Why,  Rollo,"  said  his  father,  "  you  must  not 
be  so  much  troubled." 

He  took  him  by  the  hand,  and  drew  him  gjently 
towards  him,  and  took  him  up  in  his  lap. 

"  You  promised,"  continued  his  father,  "  that, 
if  you  interrupted  me  three  times,  you  would  go 
out  willingly." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  Rollo,  though  he  was  so  much 
in  trouble  that  he  could  not  speak  very  dist'nctly  ; 
"  but  I  don't  think  you  ought  to  call  that  an 
interruption." 

"  Come    to   think   of  it,"    replied    his   father 
14 


158  Lucy's  studies. 

"  perhaps  I  ought  not  to.  You  came  and  stood 
by  me,  very  still,  so  as  not  to  interrupt  me,  but  ta 
wait  until  I  was  at  leisure." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  Rollo,  still  sobbing.  "  1  did 
not  speak  a  word." 

"  Well,"  said  his  father,  "  1  will  not  counl 
that,  then." 

And  so  saying,  he  took  his  pen,  and  crossed  out 
the  third  mark,  which  he  made  on  the  paper  that 
contained  the  record  of  interruptions.  This  re- 
stored Rollo's  composure,  though  he  still  looked 
very  unhappy.  He  could  not  imagine  why  his 
father  should  have  even  intended  to  have  made  a 
mark  against  him  in  such  a  case. 

"  I  see,"  said  his  father,  '-  you  and  I  had  a  dif- 
ferent understanding  about  the  interruptions.  You 
did  not  speak  to  me,  and  interrupt  me  in  the  com- 
mon way  ;  but  still,  do  you  suppose  that  I  could 
go  on  with  my  writing,  while  you  were  standing 
there,  waiting  to  speak  to  me  ? " 

"  Why,  no,  sir,"  said  Rollo. 

"  No,"  added  his  father  ;  "  so  that  your  com- 
ing to  me,  and  waiting  to  ask  me  for  a  pencil, 
really  interrupted  my  work ;  and  that  was  the 
reason  why  I  was  going  to  mark  it.  But,  then,  it 
was  not  what  you  have  commonly  understood  by 
an   interruption,   and   so   I    ought   not   to   have 


INTERRUPTION.  159 

marked  it.  And,  in  fact,"  he  continued,  •'  now  I 
have  given  you  so  much  trouble  to  no  purpose,  1 
believe  that  I  will  erase  all  the  marks,  and  begin 
again.  On/y  now  you  must  understand  that  you 
must  take  care  of  yourselves  altogether,  and  that, 
if  you  do  any  thing,  in  any  way,  to  take  off  my 
attention  from  my  work,  I  shall  have  to  mark  it." 

«  Well,  sir,"  said  Rollo. 

He  spoke  this  in  a  tone  of  great  satisfaction 
and  pleasure,  and  jumped  down,  and  went  away 
to  Lucy. 

During  all  this  time,  Lucy  had  been  standing 
near  the  board  table,  looking  at  Rollo  and  his 
father  with  a  countenance  expressive  of  great 
concern.  She  now,  however,  appeared  very 
much  relieved,  and  she  proposed,  in  a  whisper, 
that  they  should  go  out  and  ask  her  aunt  to  lend 
them  some  pencils.  Accordingly  Rollo  went 
and  got  them  in  that  manner,  without  anv 
difficulty. 


1§0 


CHAPTER    Xlll 

THE   THEORY   OF  INTERRUPTION. 

RoLLO  did  not  interrupt  his  father  but  once 
more  that  evening.  That  happened  in  the 
following  manner :  Rollo  agreed  to  be  Lucy's 
scholar,  and  she  was  to  teach  him  to  draw.  So 
she  began  to  set  him  a  copy.  She  drew  a  row 
of  figures,  in  a  line  ajong  the  top  of  the  paper, 
and  Rollo  was  to  imitate  them  by  making  similar 
drawings  below.  The  first  drawing  was  the 
fiorure  of  a  do^,  the  second  of  a  hat ;  the  third 
was  a  pair  of  tongs,  and  the  last  a  mouse.  Lucy 
said  tLat  they  were  not  very  good,  but  that  they 
were  as  good  as  she  could  make. 

Rollo  set  himself  at  work  to  copying  them. 
But  he  said  that  he  meant  to  begin  with  the  hat, 
which  was  the  second  picture  ;  for  he  said  the 
dog  was  too  hard  for  him. 

"  O  no,"  said  Lucy ;  "  you  must  begin  at  the 
beginning,  and  proceed  regularly." 

"  No,"  said  Rollo ;  "  I'll  do  the  hat  first,  and 
then  the  dog." 


THE  THEORY  OF  INTERRUPTION.    161 

"  There's  an  interruption,"  said  Rollo's  father, 
and  he  took  up  the  paper,  and  made  a  mark. 

"  Why,  father  !  "  said  Hollo. 

"  Yes,"  said  his  father,  ''  that  intermpts  me  — 
to  hear  a  dispute  between  you  and  Lucy." 

"  O  father,"  said  Rollo,  '■  we  were  not  dis- 
puting." 

"  It  was  only  the  commencement  of  a  dispute, 
I  acknowledge,"  said  his  father ;  "  but  when  you 
had  agreed  to  be  Lucy's  scholar,  to  hear  you 
refusinsj  to  obey  her  directions,  and  beginning  to 
argue  with  her,  disturbs  my  mind  at  once." 

"  Well,  sir,"  said  Rollo,  ''  then  I'll  draw  the 
dog." 

There  was  no  more  disputing,  and  no  more 
interruption,  for  more  than  half  an  hour.  Rollo 
was  Lucy's  scholar,  and  he  followed  her  instruc- 
tions with  great  faithfulness  and  docility.  At 
length,  just  as  Rollo  was  finishing  the  chimney 
of  a  house,  he  saw  that  his  father  was  getting 
up,  and  beginnhig  to  put  his  papers  away. 

"  Have  you  finished  your  work,  father?  "  said 
Rollo. 

"  Yes,"  replied  his  father  ;  "  and  when  I  have 
put  away  my  papers,  I  am  coming  to  see  you. 
I  think  you  had  better  put  away  your  drawing 


too 


14* 


162  Lucy's  stcdies. 

"  Yes,  so  ^e  will,"  said  Lucy.  "  I  am  tired 
af  drawing  now." 

Rollo  put  away  the  paper,  which  he  had  no 
used,  reserving  that  which  had  his  and  Lucy's 
drawing  upon  it,  to  show  to  his  mother ;  and  \ui 
gave  Lucy  the  pencils  to  carry  into  the  oth(ir 
room.  Then  he  put  the  board  away  in  its  place 
again,  and  set  the  lamp  upon  the  table.  By 
this  time,  his  father  was  ready ;  and  he  came  and 
sat  down  upon  the  sofa,  while  Lucy  took  her 
place  upon  one  side,  and  Rollo  upon  the  othei . 

"  I  believe,"  said  Mr.  Holiday,  "  that  children 
very  often  don't  understand  exactly  how  it  is 
that  they  interrupt  their  parents,  when  they  are 
busy.  They  think  it  is  noise  which  constitutes 
intermption." 

"  Well,  sir,"  said  Rol  j,  "  and  is  not  it  ?  " 

"  No,  not  exactly,"  replied  his  father.  "  If  it 
should  thunder  while  I  was  writing,  do  you  sup- 
pose that  it  would  interrupt  me?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  Lucy  ;  "  I  am  sure  1  should." 

Mr.  Holiday  smiled.  In  fact,  he  perceived 
that  he  had  fallen  upon  an  unfortunate  illustra- 
tion. 

"  Well,  then,"  said  he,  "suppose  that  1  were 
in  a  city,  and  were  writing  by  a  window,  which 
opened  upon  a  street,  where  a  great  many  horses, 


THE    THELR-Y    OF     INTERRUPTION.  163 

and  heavy  wagons,  and  coaches,  were  passing; 
do  you  suppose  thai  that  noise  would  interrupt 
me?" 

"  Why,  no,  sir,"  said  Rollo. 

"  Well,  now,  suppose  that  I  was  seated  at  my 
own  window,  and  saw  a  single  horse,  walking 
slowly  into  my  garden ;  would  not  that  interrupt 
me." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  "  Yes,  sir,"  answered  Rollo  and 
Lucy  together. 

"  Because,"  continued  Mr.  Holiday,  "  it  would 
attract  my  attention.  It  would  call  upon  me  to 
do  something ;  that  is,  to  get  up,  and  go  and  get 
somebody  to  drive  him  out." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  Rollo,  "  I  think  that  would 
interrupt  me." 

"  While  you  and  Lucy,"  continued  his  father, 
''  were  talking  and  laughing  together,  pleasantly, 
it  did  not  disturb  me  at  all." 

"  When  was  it,  father?  "  said  Rollo. 

"  Why,  when  we  were  looking  at  the  dog 
standing  on  his  head,"  said  Lucy ;  "  don't  you 
remember?  1  was  afraid  that  we  should  inter- 
rupt you." 

"  No,"  said  her  uncle,  "  that  did  not  disturb 
nie ;  because  you  were  good-natured  and  pleasant, 
and  every  thing  was  going   on  right.     But    the 


164  Lucy's  studies 

moment  Rollc  began  to  argue  about  obeymg 
your  directions  in  regard  to  the  drawing,  that 
moment  my  mind  was  disturbed.  You  did  nol 
make  nearly  as  much  noise  as  you  had  done 
when  talking  and  lauo-hins;  about  the  dos  ;  but  it 
was  the  beginning  of  a  difficulty,  and  so  it  troubled 
my  mind. 

"  And  so,"  continued  his  father,  "  when  you 
came,  RoUo,  and  stood  by  my  side,  waiting  to 
speak  to  me  ;  although  I  don't  think  that  you  did 
wrong  at  all,  yet  it  interrupted  me ;  that  is,  it 
attracted  my  attention  from  my  work.  I  said  to 
myself,  '  Here  is  RoUo  wanting  to  speak  to  me, 
and  I  must  stop  my  work,  and  hear  what  he  has  to 
say.'  It  was  not  so  sudden  and  violent  an  inter- 
ruption as  It  was  when  you  came  the  first  time, 
and  broke  in  upon  my  work  at  once,  asking  me 
for  the  pencils ;  but  still  it  interrupted  me.  It 
required  me  to  stop  my  work  to  attend  to  you." 

"  I  thought  that  you  could  just  tell  us,"  said 
Rollo,  "if  you  knew  where  there  were  any  pencils." 

"  Yes,"  replied  his  father,  "  and  so  I  might,  if 
I  had  only  been  busy  about  some  ordinary  work. 
But  I  was  very  specially  busy.  I  was  making 
calculations ;  and  I  knew  that,  if  you  came  ever 
so  still  to  speak  to  me,  and  should  thus  make  me 
stop  m  the  middle  of  a  calculation,  I  should  have 


THE    THEORY    OF     INTERRUPTION.  165 

io  give  it  up,  and  begin  again,  and  so  lose  what  1 
nad  done. 

"  That's  the  reason,"  he  continued,  "  why  1  y:n 
not  willing  to  have  you  in  my  room  when  I  air. 
very  busy.  You  don't  know  very  well  what 
an  interruption  is.  Children  do  not  have  sucli 
perplexing  work  to  do  as  men  have,  and  they 
don't  understand  how  easily  the  mind  may  be 
disturbed." 

"  I  did  not  think  that  I  should  intenrupt  you," 
said  Rollo,  "  by  only  going  up  to  the  table  and 
standing  still." 

"  No ;  and  therefore,"  said  his  father,  "  you 
were  not  to  blame.  But  you  see  now,  I  suppose, 
how  it  did  inteiTupt  me.  Why,  one  day  you 
intenupted  me,  and  did  a  great  deal  of  mischief, 
without  saying  a  word  to  me,  or  even  coming 
near  to  the  table." 

"  How  was  it  ? "  said  Rollo. 

"  Why,  you  had  lost  your  hat.  I  knew  where 
it  was,  for  I  saw  it  out  under  a  tree,  where  you 
had  left  it.  And  I  heard  you  walkmg  about  and 
asking  every  body  if  they  knew  where  your  hat  was. 
You  asked  them  quietly  and  very  properly,  but  still 
I  heard ;  and  the  difficulty  which  you  were  in 
attracted  my  attention,  and  confused  me  in  ni) 
addin£." 


166  Lucy's  studies. 

•'  Adding  ? "  said  Lucy,  in  an  intturrogative 
tone  ;  that  is,  in   the  tone  of  asking  a  question. 

"  Yes,"  said  her  uncle.  "  I  was  adding  a  long 
column  of  figures ;  and  this  difficulty  about 
Rollo's  hat  took  place  when  I  had  nearly  got 
through.  So  I  lost  my  reckoning  just  as  Rollo 
was  coming  into  my  room,  to  ask  me  where  his 
hat  was.  I  told  him  that  it  was  out  under  the 
tree ;  and  then  I  had  to  begin  once  more,  and 
do  my  work  all  over  again." 

"  But,  father,"  said  Rollo,  "  you  said  that  I 
did  not  speak  to  you  at  all." 

"  True,"  replied  his  father,  "  and  you  did  not. 
You  were  coming  to  speak  to  me,  and  I  knew 
what  you  were  coming  for.  But  the  interruption 
was  occasioned  before,  by  the  inquiries  which 
you  were  making  out  in  the  entries,  which  1 
heard,  although  you  did  not  speak  very  loud." 

"  Well,  sir,"  said  Rollo,  "  I  am  sorry  that  I 
interrupted  you.     I  did  not  know  it." 

"  O,  it  is  not  of  much  consequence,"  said  his 
father ;  "I  only  mentioned  the  case  to  help 
explain  to  you  the  theory  of  intermption." 

"  The  what,  sir  ?  "  said  Rollo. 

"  The  theory  of  interruption ;  that  is,  tha 
nature  of  it." 


THE  THEORY  OF  INTERRUPTION.    167 

''  Yes,  sir,"  said  Rollo,  ''  1  understand  the 
nature  of  it  now." 

Mr.  Holiday  dien  said  diat  Lucy  and  Kollo 
ini^ht  m  into  the  other  room,  and  that  he  was 
coming  in  himself  pretty  soon.  So  Lucy  took 
their  lamp,  and  diey  walked  along  into  the  fi^ont 
parlor. 

Lucy  saw.  as  soon  as  she  entered  the  room 
that  her  aunt  was  sitdng  near  the  cradle.  Na- 
than was  lying  in  the  cradle  asleep.  Her  aunt 
was  reading,  with  her  foot  near  the  rocker, 
ready  to  rock  him  immediately  in  case  he  should 
move. 

Rollo  was  going  up  immediately  to  his  mother 
to  ask  her  what  she  thought  he  and  Lucy  had 
better  play.  But  then  he  concluded,  on  the 
whole,  not  to  in  term  pt  her ;  and  he  accordingly 
turned  round  and  walked  back  to  Lucy. 

"  Now,  Lucy,  what  shall  we  do  for  the  rest 
of  the  evening." 

"I  don't  know,"  said  Lucy;  "  T  expect  it  is 
v^ry  nearly  time  for  Royal  to  come  for  me." 

"  O  no,"  said  Rollo,  "  not  yet.  It  is  only 
eight  o'clock ;  and  you  are  not  going  home  until 
half  after  eight.  ^Ve  shall  have  time  to  play  half 
an  hour  yet." 

Lucy  admitted  diis,  and   Rollo  proposed  thai 


168  LUCrS    STUDIES. 

Lucy  should  be  a  man  walking  in  the  woods, 
and  that  ^e  should  be  a  lion  roaring  at  her,  and 
frightening  her.  The  tables  and  chairs  were  to 
be  the  trees. 

Lucy  agreed  to  this  plan  ;  and  so  Rollo  got 
down,  upon  his  hands  and  knees,  under  the  table, 
and  Lucy  began  to  walk  slowly  back  and  forth, 
as  if  she  was  walking  in  the  woods.  She  talked 
to  herself  all  the  time,  as  follows,  — 

"  O  dear  !  what  a  dark  night !  what  a  terrible 
dark  nidit !     And  I  am  afraid  that  there  are  lions 

o 

in  these  woods." 

Here  Rollo  beo;an  to  roar  a  little. 

"  Hark ! "  said  Lucy.  "  I  believe  I  bear  a 
lion  roaring.  What  shall  1  do?  He's  a  great 
way  off,  I  suppose  ;  but  what  if  he  should  come 
nearer  !  " 

Here  Rollo  began  to  roar  louder. 

"  Hush  !  children,"  said  Rollo's  mother,  with- 
out, however,  looking  round,  or  even  taking  her 
eyes  off  her  book. 

Here  Rollo's  roar  subsided  into  a  lower  tone. 

"  O  dear  me  1 "  said  Lucy,  speaking  more 
sofdy  ;  "  I  am  afraid  I  shall  lose  my  way,  and  then 
I  shall  get  caught  by  that  terrible  lion." 

Rollo  bep-an  to  roar  aofain  a  little  Iruder  than 
before. 


THE    THEORY    OF    INTERRUPTION. 


169 


'^  O,  how  he  roars  ! "  said  Lucy  ',  ''  what  shall 
I  do?" 

At  this  moment,  Rollo  scrambled  out  towards 
Lucy  upon  all  fours,  just  as  if  he  was  a  lion, 
springing  out  of  the  thicket  to  seize  her.  Lucy 
ran,  Rollo  pursuing  her ;  his  roaring  growing 
louder  and  louder. 

"  Children,"  said  his  mother,  "  that's  too  noisy 
a  play.  I  can't  let  you  play  that  play ;  you 
must  think  of  something  else." 

"  Why,  mother,"  said  Rollo,  still,  however, 
Keepmg  his  quadruped  form  and  position,  "  fa- 
ther said  a  Mttle  noise  was  not  any  interruption." 

"  Did  he  ?  "  said  his  mother. 

"  Yes,  mother,"  replied  Rollo,  with  a  v^ery 
confident  tone.  "  He  said  that  it  did  not  do  any 
harm  to  make  a  little  noise,  if  we  did  not  come 
and  do  any  thing  to  attract  your  attention." 

"  Yes,"  said  his  mother,  "  that  is  true  in  regard 
to  grown  persons,  but  there  is  a  very  different 
rule  in  regard  to  babies.  Noise  alone  disturbs 
tliem.  What  I'm  afraid  is,  not  that  you'll  inter- 
rupt me,  but  that  you'll  wake  Nathan." 

"  O,"  said  Rollo ;  and  just  at  that  moment  the 
door  opened,  and  Royal  came  in. 

Royal  smiled  to  see  Rollo  upon  his  hands  and 
Knees,  and  yet  looking  towards  his  mother,  with 


170  Lucy's  studies. 

such  a  sober  expression  of  countenance.  He 
asked  them  what  they  were  playing. 

Rollo  got  up,  and  answered,  — 

"  Lion.  But  you  have  come  too  early,  Royal. 
Lucy  was  not  to  go  home  until  half  past  eight." 

"  I  know  it,"  said  Royal,  "  and  I  have  come 
to  play  with  you  half  an  hour." 

"  I'm  glad  of  that,"  said  Rollo ;  "  only  we 
can't  play  now  very  well,  because  we  shall  wake 
the  baby." 

"  Let's  go  into  the  kitchen,  then,"  said  Royal. 
"  Aunt,  may  we  go  into  the  kitchen  ?  " 

"  Yes,  if  Dorothy  is  willing.  You  must  not 
play  unless  Dorothy  is  willing." 

They  all  went  out  into  the  kitchen  to  ask 
Dorothy ;  and  she  said  they  might  make  any 
reasonable  noise ;  but  that,  as  soon  as  the  noise 
became  too  great,  she  should  stop  the  game. 

"  Well,"  said  Royal,  "  you  may.  And  now," 
he  continued,  "  we'll  play  elephant.  I'll  be  the  el- 
ephant. Rollo,  where's  your  little  chain  ?  Go  and 
get  your  little  chain,  to  chain  round  my  fore  leg." 

Rollo  went  and  got  his  chain.  It  was  a  small 
iron  chLm,  such  as  is  used  to  support  stove-pipes, 
and  it  had  a  hook  in  one  end.  It  was  a  favorite 
plaything  of  RoUo's,  for  he  could  use  it  in  a  great 
many  ways. 


THE    THEORY    OF     INTERRUPTION.  171 

RoUo  brought  the  chain,  and  then  Royal  got 
down  upon  all  fours,  and  pretended  that  he  was 
an  elephant.  Lucy  was  the  hunter,  and  Hollo 
the  dog.  There  was  considerable  barking,  and 
other  noise,  while  they  were  hunting  the  elephant ; 
but  when,  at  last,  they  got  him  caught  and  chained, 
they  were  more  still. 

Rollo  then  turned  into  a  man,  in  order  that  he 
might  be  the  elephant's  keeper.  He  put  the 
chain  around  Royal's  shoulder,  and  led  him 
about.  Royal  walked  upon  his  hands  and  knees, 
with  a  very  deliberate  motion,  as  much  as  pos- 
sible like  that  of  a  real  elephant.  Sometimes 
Rollo  would  order  his  elephant  to  kneel,  and 
then  Royal  would  fold  his  arms  before  him,  and 
lie  down  close  to  the  floor,  so  that  Rollo  could 
easily  get  upon  his  back.  Rollo  would  mount, 
and  then  call  upon  his  elephant  to  get  up  again  ; 
and  so  he  would  take  a  short  ride  about  the  room. 
Lucy  had  one  ride  herself. 

Royal  at  last  began  to  pretend  that  he  was  in 
a  frenzy.  He  said  that  he  had  read  in  books  of 
elephants'  getting  into  a  frenzy,  and  frightening 
their  keepers  terribly.  So  he  scrambled  around 
the  floor,  shakinor  his  head  about  in  a  very  ferocioui 
manner,  while  Rollo  and  Lucy  ran  off,  trying  to 
get  out  of  his  way,  and  making  the  kitchen  ring 
with  their  peals  of  laughter. 


1/2  Lucy's   studies 

Dorothy,  who  was  knitting  all  this  time  at  th« 
Fide  of  the  fire,  at  length  interrupted  their  play  by 
saying,  — 

"  Come,  come,  children  !  I  think  that's  getting 
to  be  unreasonable  noise." 

•'  O  Dorothy,"  said  Lucy,  "  1  don't  think  that's 
much  noise." 

"  Yes,"  said  Dorothy,  "  you  must  not  play  so 
any  more.  But  if  you'll  come  and  sit  down  here 
by  the  fire,  I'll  tell  you  a  story." 

"  Well,"  said  the  children.  In  fact,  they  were 
as  much  pleased  at  the  idea  of  having  a  story,  as 
they  would  have  been  to  have  gone  on  with  their 
play.     So  they  all  came  and  sat  down  by  the  fire. 

"  Tell  us  a  story  about  a  snow-storm,"  said 
Lucy. 

"  I  have  told  you  pretty  much  all  my  snow- 
storm stories,  already,"  said  Dorothy.  "  Let  me 
think,  —  did  I  ever  tell  you  about  Oliver's  snow- 
shoes." 

"  No,"  said  Lucy ;  "  tell  us  now." 

Accordingly,  when  all  were  ready,  Dorothy 
commenced  her  story  as  follov^s :  — 

"  It  was  a  great  many  years  ago  that  what  1 
am  going  to  tell  you  took  place.  It  was  when 
Oliver  was  about  eight  years  old." 

"And  how  old  were  you  ?  "  asked  Royal. 


THE    THEORY    OF     INTERRUPTION.  173 

"  I  was  about  twelve,"  replied  Dorothy.  ''  Our 
house  was  in  the  woods,  a  great  way  from  the 
school-house  where  we  used  to  go  to  school.  1 
should  think  that  it  was  more  than  two  miles ;  and 
we  had  to  go  by  a  path  through  the  woods.  We 
walked  to  school  in  the  mornings  with  our  dinners 
in  a  basket.  Then  we  staid  in  the  school-room 
at  noon,  eating  our  dinners  by  the  fire." 

"  What  did  you  use  to  have  for  dinner  ? "  asked 
Rollo. 

"  O,  bread  and  cheese,"  said  Dorothy,  "  and 
someianes  an  apple  turnover,  which  my  mother 
made  for  us. 

"  Well,  one  day,"  continued  Dorothy,  "  when 
we  had  got  half  way  to  school,  in  the  morning,  it 
\)egan  to  snow.  It  snowed  very  fast  all  the  fore- 
noon ;  and  at  noon,  when  school  was  done,  we 
found  that  the  boys  who  went  out  came  in  again 
with  their  clothes  whitened  with  snow,  half  way 
up  to  their  knees.  We  were  afraid  that  we  should 
not  be  able  to  get  home." 

"  And  what  should  you  do  if  you  could  not  get 
home  ? "  said  Lucy.  "  Should  you  stay  in  the 
school-house  all  nisjht  ?  " 

"  O,  I  don't  know,"  said  Dorothy,  "  what  we 
should  have  done.     Perhaps  we  should  have  gone 
to  Mary  Green's  house." 
15*^ 


174  locy's  studies. 

"  Mary  Green's  house  ?  "  said  Lucy  ;  "  who  \vaa 
Maiy  Green  ? " 

"  Why,  she  was  a  girl  that  went  to  our  school.  "^ 

"Never  mind  about  her,"  interrupted  Roya*, 
"but  tell  the  story.  I  want  to  hear  about  the 
snow-shoes." 

"  It  stopped  snowing  about  the  middle  of  the 
afternoon,"  said  Dorothy,  "  and  Mary  Green's  fa- 
ther came  for  her  in  a  sleigh  ;  and  he  said  that  he 
would  carry  us  as  far  as  he  was  going  our  way ; 
for,  you  see,  we  had  to  go  along  the  main  road  for 
about  half  a  mile,  till  we  came  to  the  place  where 
the  path  through  the  woods  turned  off.  When 
we  came  to  this  place,  we  got  out  of  the  sleigh, 
and  began  to  walk  along  through  the  woods.  At 
last,  we  came  to  a  little  opening  by  the  side  of  a 
mill-stream,  where  there  was  a  little  hut.  The 
hut  was  built  there  to  make  shingles  in.  It  was 
what  they  call  a  shingle  camp.'^ 

"  How  do  they  make  shingles  ?  "  said  Royal. 

"  O,  they  cut  down  a  large  pine-tree,  and  then 
cut  it  up  into  very  short  logs,  and  then  split  the 
logs  into  thin  pieces,  very  wide.  Then  they  take 
these  pieces,  and  shave  them  smooth.  We  looked 
into  the  hut,  but  the  man  was  not  there.  His 
shave  was  there,  and  there  was  a  great  pile  of 
shavings ;  and  the  horse  was  in  one  corner," 


THE    THEORY    OF    INTERRUPTION.  175 

"  The  horse !  "  said  Rollo. 

'•'  Yes,"  replied  Dorothy,  "  and  we  went  in  aiid 
Bat  down  on  the  shavings  to  rest  ourselves." 

"  How  came  the  man  to  leave  his  horse  there  ?  " 
said  Royal. 

"  Why,  he  was  coming  back  again  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  so  he  left  his  horse  and  his  tools.  There 
was  nobody  about  there  to  steal  them.  It  would 
have  been  a  great  deal  of  trouble  to  have  taken 
his  horse  home  every  night." 

"  And  what  did  he  have  to  eat  ? "  said  Royal 
—  "  shavings  ? " 

Dorothy  laughed,  and  said  there  was  nothing 
eJse  for  Wm  to  eat,  and  that,  in  fact,  he  looked  as 
if  he  lived  upon  shavings. 

"  We  staid  here  a  few  mintites  to  rest,"  con- 
tinued Dorothy,  "  and  then  we  concluded  that 
we  would  make  ourselves  some  snow-shoes." 

^'  What  are  snow-shoes  ?  "  asked  Lucy. 

"  They  are  large,  flat  things  to  put  under  your 
feet  to  keep  your  feet  from  sinking  into  the  snow. 
They  make  them  in  different  ways ;  but  we  were 
going  to  make  ours  of  the  broad  and  thin  pieces 
of  pine  which  had  been  split  out  for  shingles.  So 
we  began  to  look  about  before  the  hut  for  some 
pieces  which  were  of  the  right  size." 

"  But,  Dorothy,"  said  Lucy,  "  T  should  think 


176  Lucy's  studies. 


that  they  would  have  heen  all  covered  up  in  the 


snow." 


*'  They  were  not,"  replied  Dorothy  ;  —  "  buf. 
stop,  —  let  me  see.  It  appears  to  me  that  the 
sun  was  shining,  and  that  it  was  a  warm,  pleasant 
day  when  we  made  our  snow-shoes.  Yes ;  —  it 
was ;  and  I  have  been  making  a  mistake  all 
this  time.  For  we  didn't  make  our  snow-shoes 
the  day  that  it  snowed  ;  it  was  one  day  in  the 
spring,  when  the  snow  was  melting,  so  that  we 
kept  sinking  into  it,  and  could  not  get  along." 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Royal ;  "  no  matter  what 
day  it  was,  —  only  tell  on." 

"  Well,"  said  Dorothy,  "  I  told  Oliver  that  if 
he  had  any  string  in  his  pocket,  so  that  we  could 
fasten  the  snow-shoes  on,  we  would  make  two 
pair,  one  for  him  and  one  for  ine.  He  said  that 
he  had  got  some  string,  and  he  drew  out  a  long 
piece  from  his  pocket.  So  we  found  pieces  of 
wood,  of  the  right  size,  and  then  we  went  into  the 
hut,  and  Oliver  undertook  to  shave  them  smooth 
So  he  took  one  of  the  pieces,  and  sat  down  upon 
the  seat  before  the  hw'se,  and  put  one  end  of  it 
into  the  horse's  mouth,  and  gripped  it  tight,  wh'le 
he  shaved  the  other  end." 

"  O  Dorothy,"  exclaimed  the  children,  "  what 
t  slory  ! " 


THE    THEOKY    OF    INTERRUPTION.  17? 

"  He  did,"  said  Dorothy,  seriously.  "  Ht  wag 
a  little  fellow,  it  is  true,  but  then  he  was  '.  er) 
handy  with  tools."  Dorothy  thought  thai  the 
children  were  surprised  that  such  a  little  boy  as 
Oliver  could  use  the  shave  ;  but,  in  fact,  what  sur- 
prised them  was,  that  the  piece  of  wood  was  held 
in  the  horse's  mouth. 

"  When  he  had  shaved  one  half  of  the  piece,  he 
turned  it  end  for  end,  and  shaved  the  other  half. 
Then  he  turned  it  over,  and  shaved  the  other  szVe." 

*'  But  how  did  he  get  it  out  of  the  horse's 
mouth  ? "  said  Rollo. 

"  O,  there  was  a  little  foot-piece  down  under- 
neath ;  and  when  he  pressed  that  with  his  foot,  it 
pressed  down  the  jaw,  and  when  he  lifted  off  his 
foot,  die  jaw  came  up  again,  and  let  the  wood  out.' 

"  Why,  Dorothy  !  "  said  Lucy  ;  "  what  sort  of  a 
horse  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  Why,  a  shaving  horse,"  said  Dorothy. 

"  A  shaving  hoi-se  !  "  repeated  Rollo  and  Lucy. 

"  Yes,  certainly,"  said  Dorothy.  "  What  son 
of  a  horse  did  you  think  I  meant  r " 

"  Why,  a  real  horse,  live  horse,"  said  Rollo. 

Dorothy  laughed  very  heartily  at  this  mistake . 
and  the  children,  when  they  understood  the  case, 
laughed  heartily  too.     In  the  midst  of  their  merri 
ment,  Royal  looked  up  at  the  clock,  and  said  thai 


178  Lucy's  studies. 

it  was  time  for  him  and  Lucy  to  go.  •*  Only," 
said  he,  "  Dorothy,  1  wish  you'd  finish  the 
story." 

"  Why,  that  is  about  al',''  said  Dorothy  ;  "  we 
made  the  snow-shoes,  and  tied  them  on,  and  then 
we  walked  along  over  the  soft  snow  without  sink- 
ing in,  and  so  got  safely  home." 

"  How  did  you  tie  the  shoes  on  ? "  asked 
Royal. 

"  Why,  Oliver  contrived  to  bore  some  holes  in 
the  wood,"  replied  Dorothy,  "  and  then  he  had  a 
piece  of  twine  in  his  pocket,  for  strings.  He  cut 
the  strings  into  proper  lengths,  and  then  put  them 
into  the  holes ;  and  so  we  fastened  the  snow-shoes 
to  our  feet." 

"  1  should  not  think  that  you  could  walk  very 
well  with  snow-shoes,"  said  Lucy. 

"  We  can't  walk  very  well,"  replied  Dorothy  ; 
"  but  it  is  better  than  sinking  down  deep  into  the 
snow.  You  must  understand  that  we  don't  lift 
the  whole  snow-shoe  off  from  the  ground,  when 
we  step." 

"  Don't  you  ?  "  said  Royal. 

"  No,"  said  Dorothy.  "  It  is  fastened  on  with 
the  strings,  in  such  a  way  that  the  back  part  of 
It  hangs  down,  and  drags  along.  When  we  step, 
we  only  lift  the  front  part  of  it  up,  and  the  back 


THE    THEORY    OF    INTERRUPTION.  171) 

part  drags  along  upon  the  snow  to  the  new  place, 
and  then  we  step  down  upon  it  again." 

"  I  wish  I  had  a  pair  of  snow-shoes,"  said 
Royal. 

"  You  must  make  a  pair,"  said  Dorothy. 

"  But  I  havn't  got  any  such  pieces  of  wood," 
said  Royal. 

"  Nor  any  shaving  horse,"  said  Lucy. 

"  O,  perhaps  you  can  find  some  thin  pieces  of 
wood,"  replied  Dorothy.  "  You'd  better  make 
a  pair ;  and  then,  when  there  comes  a  deep  snow, 
this  winter,  you  can  walk  on  them.  You  can 
draw  Lucy  with  your  tiand-sled  all  over  the 
fields." 

"  But  the  sled  would  sink  down  into  the  snow," 
said  Royal. 

'•  Why,  haven't  you  got  a  snow-sled  ?  "  asked 
Dorothy. 

"  A  snow-sled  ? "  replied  Royal ;  "  no  ;  what 
is  a  snow-sled  ?  " 

"  Why,  it  is  a  sled,"  replied  Dorothy,  "  with 
broad  runners,  so  that  it  will  not  sink  deep  into 
the  snow." 

"  How  broad  ?  "  said  Royal. 

"  O,  about  as  broad  as  my  hand,"  said  Dorothy 

"  Then  it  must  be  a  very  heavy  sled,"  said 
Royal. 


180  LUCY  S    STUDIES. 

"  No,"  replied    Dorothy,  "  it  is  a  very  ligh 
sled.     The  runners  are  not  solid  ;  they  are  foned^ 
and  made  light,  with  only  a  broad,  thin  piece  at 
the  bottom." 

"  I  wish  you  had  a  snow-sled,  Royal,  said 
Lucy,  "  and  a  pair  of  snow-shoes." 

"  So  do  I,"  said  Royal,  "  and  I  mean  to  try  to 
make  them;  only  the  sled,  —  I  don't  believe  I 
can  make  a  sled." 

Royal  then  got  his  hat,  and  went  out  into  the 
yard  to  get  the  chaise.  He  told  Lucy  to  go  and 
put  on  her  bonnet,  and  then  come  to  the  front 
door,  when  she  heard  the  sound  of  the  wheels. 

Lucy  accordingly  went  in,  and  put  on  her 
bonnet,  and  bade  her  aunt  and  uncle  good  night. 
She  asked  her  aunt  when  Rollo  might  come  and 
return  her  visit.  She  said  that  she  would  let  him 
come  the  next  week,  if  Royal  could  come  and 
bring  him  home.  And  Lucy  said  that  she  had 
no  doubt  that  her  father  would  let  Royal  bring 
him  home. 

By  this  time,  she  heard  the  sound  of  the  wheels 
driving  up  to  the  door ;  and  so  she  went  out,  and 
|0t  into  the  chaise,  and  Royal  drove  her  away. 

THE    END 


;f#i 


COUSIN  LUCY  AT  PLAY. 


BY  THE  AUTHOR  OF  THE  ROLLO  BOOKS. 


-oo'^^OO- 


THE   LUCY   SERIES 


IS    COMPOSED    OF   SIX   VOLUMES,    VIZ.  : 


Lucy  Among  the  Mountains. 
Lucy's  Conversations. 
Lucy  on  tlie  Sea-Shore. 


Lucy  at  Study. 

Lucy  at  Flay. 

Stories  told  to  Cousin  Lucy. 


A   NEW    EDITION,    REVISED    BY    THE   AUTHOR. 


NEW    YORK: 

THOMAS    Y.    CROAYELL    &    CO., 

No.  13  AsTOR  Place. 


PEEFACE. 


Two  volumes  of  a  series  of  little 
booksj  corresponding,  in  their  gen- 
eral style  and  characteristics,  with  the 
Eollo  Books  for  boys,  but  designed 
more  particularly  for  the  other  sex, 
have  already  been  published,  under  the 
names  of  Cousin  Lucy's  Conversa- 
tions, and  Cousin  Lucy's  Stories. 
This,  and  its  companion.  Cousin  Lucy 
AT  Study,  are  now  offered  to  the  pub- 
lic in  the  hope  that  the  little  readers, 
into  Avhose  hands  they  may  f\dl,  may 
be  interested,  and,  in  some  degree  at 
least,  profited,  by  the  perusal  of  them. 


CONTENTS. 


Page, 
CHAPTER   I. 

The  Maeble  Box 9 


CHAPTER  11. 
Metaphysics  . 26 

CHAPTER  III. 
Stories 42 

CHAPTER  ly. 
The  Ride  to  Towi^ 56 

CHAPTER  V. 
The  Gypsy  Party 72 

CHAPTER  YI. 
The  Morocco  Book — The  Loxely  Sleigh-Ride    90 

CHAPTER  YII. 
Mary  Jay's  Sunday  School 108 


8  CONTENTS. 

Page, 
CHAPTER  YIII. 

The  Present 126 

CHAPTER  IX. 
A  Fright 138 

CHAPTER  K 
Royal  a  PROTEcroii 156 

CHAPTER  XI. 
The  Dictionary 172 


LUCY    AT    PLAY. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  MARBLE  BOX. 


There  was  a  box,  or  chest,  of  a  somewhat 
singular  character,  in  the  house  where  Luc}'  lived  ; 
it  was  called  the  marble  box.  It  was  not  really 
made  of  marble  ;  it  was  made  of  wood  ;  but 
then  it  was  painted  marble  color,  and  that  was 
the  reason  wh}^  it  was  called  the  marble  box. 

The  marble  box  had  books  and  pla3'things  in 
it.  It  was  prett}'  large,  and  so  it  would  hold  a 
considerable  number.  There  was  a  handle  at 
each  end,  and  when  Luc}'  took  hold  of  one  handle, 
and  Ro3al,  her  brother,  of  the  other,  the  box  was 
just  about  as  much  as  the}^  could  convenientl}^ 
carry.  The  place  where  the  marble  box  was 
usually-  kept,  was  under  a  table  in  the  back  cham- 
ber entry,  not  far  from  the  head  of  the  stairs. 


10  LJCY    AT    PLAY. 

There  was  a  lock  "o  the  marble  box,  and 
Lucy's  mother  kept  the  key.  She  tied  a  piece 
of  blue  ribbon  to  the  key  to  mark  it,  and  she  kept 
it  hung  up  under  the  mantel  shelf  in  her  room. 

The  rule  of  the  marble  box  was  this  —  that  it 
never  was  to  be  opened  except  when  the  children 
were  sick,  —  or,  rather,  when  they  were  convales- 
cent. When  children  are  attacked  with  sickness, 
they  do  not  generally,  for  a  time,  wish  for  a.ny 
playthings.  But,  then,  when  the  disease  is  once 
subdued,  and  the  pain,  or  the  unpleasant  feelings, 
whatever  they  may  be,  have  disappeared, —  then 
there  is  a  period,  while  the  patient  is  recovering  his 
health  and  strength,  which  is  called  the  period  of 
wnvalescence.  Now,  during  convalescence,  chil- 
dren are  more  in  need  of  playthings  to  interest 
and  occupy  their  minds  than  at  any  other  time. 

There  are  various  reasons  why  this  is  so.  In 
the  first  place,  they  cannot  usually  be  allowed  to 
go  out  of  doors  ;  for,  after  such  an  attack  of 
sickness,  it  generally  takes  some  time  for  the  sys- 
tem to  become  restored  to  its  usual  state,  so  as  tc 
bear  safely  the  ordinary  exposures.  Thus,  by 
being  confined  to  the  house,  the  child  is  cut  off 
from  some  of  his  sources  of  enjoyment,  which 
makes  it  more  necessary  that  he  should  havt 
agreeable  books  and  playthings. 


THE    MARBl  £    BOX.  11 

Then,  besides,  during  convalescence,  th^  mind  is 
not  generally  in  a  proper  state  to  engage  in  study, 
or  *n  any  of  the  usual  duties  of  life.  This  13 
peculiarly  the  case  if  the  sickness  has  been  severe. 
We  feel  weak,  and  are  easily  fatigued,  and  ex 
hausted  with  exertion,  either  of  mind  or  body. 
Consequently  the  ordinary  duties  of  life  are  usually 
suspended  during  convalescence,  and  this  leaves  a 
large  portion  of  time  unoccupied.  It  is  always 
difficult  for  mothers  to  find  the  means  to  occiipy 
this  time  pleasantly,  in  the  case  of  the  convales- 
cence of  their  children. 

There  is  one  more  reason  why  it  is  desirable  to 
have  interesting  books  and  playthings  for  children, 
when  they  are  in  a  state  of  convalescence ;  and 
that  is,  that  the  mind  is  in  such  a  state  that  it  is  in 
some  respects  more  difficult  to  be  interested  and 
amused  then  than  at  other  times.  When  recover- 
ing from  sickness,  there  is  often  a  kind  of  lassitude 
and  weariness,  which  makes  the  patient  indisposed 
to  be  long  occupied  in  any  one  way.  Occupa- 
tions and  amusements,  which  would  please  him 
very  much  at  some  times,  fail  altogether  now. 
The  common  books  and  playthings,  which  he  is 
accustomed  to  use  at  other  times,  do  not  afford 
him  much  pleasure  now.  He  very  soon  gets  tired 
of  thenj. 


12  LUCY    AT     PL.AX. 

For  these  reasons,  Lucy's  mother  had  ofter. 
^ound  it  very  difficult  to  provide  the  means  of 
amusing  her,  and  occupying  her  mind,  when  she 
was  sick ;  and  still  more  difficult  to  do  this  in  the 
case  of  Royal.  So  she  told  them,  one  day,  thai 
she  meant  to  have  a  trunk  to  keep  books  and 
playthings  in,  expressly  for  this  purpose.  She 
looked  about  the  house  for  a  trunk,  but  she  could 
not  find  any  one,  which  was  not  in  use.  At  last, 
however,  she  met  with  this  wooden  box  or  chest, 
which  was  about  as  large  as  a  trunk ;  and  she 
said  that  that  would  do  very  well  indeed.  Royal 
helped  her  to  bring  it  down  stairs. 

It  was  one  day  when  Royal  had  been  sick 
with  the  croup,  that  his  mother  first  formed  the 
plan  of  such  a  box ;  and  she  wanted  to  amuse 
and  occupy  him  then,  as  well  as  to  prepare  to  do 
it  at  future  times,  when  he  should  be  sick.  So 
she  proposed  to  him  to  take  the  chest  into  the 
kitchen^  and  line  the  inside  of  it  with  blue  paper, 
so  as  to  make  it  look  neat  and  pretty  within. 
She  brought  him  some  blue  paper  in  large  sheets ; 
Joanna  made  him  some  paste  ;  and  then  he  pasted 
the  blue  paper  in. 

It  took  all  the  afternoon  to  line  the  box ;  and  ih 
the  evening,  when  Royal's  fattier  came  home, 
Lucy  brought  him  out  into  the  kitchen  to  see  it 


THE    MARBLE    BOX.  13 

ll  was  then  almost  dry,  and  was  lying  down  upon 
its  side,  noi  a  great  way  from  the  kitchen  fire. 
Lucy  wanted  to  place  it  nearer ;  but  Royal  said 
that  there  was  danger,  if  it  was  placed  too  near, 
that  the  heat  would  warp  the  wood,  and  so  spoil, 
the  box. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  our  plan,  father  ?  "  said 
Royal. 

*•'  I  think  it  is  a  very  excellent  plan,  indeed," 
said  his  father.  "  I  should  like  to  have  had  a 
share  in  the  execution  of  such  an  excellent  plan 
myself." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that,  father  ?  "  asked 
Lucy. 

"  Why,  that  I  should  have  liked  to  have  done 
something  myself  about  this  box.  Mother 
formed  the  plan  and  found  the  box,  and  Royal 
has  lined  it.  Joanna  made  the  paste,  and  you, 
—  you  have  done  something,  I  suppose." 

"  Yes,  father,"  said  Lucy,  "  I  held  down  the 
corners  of  the  great  sheets,  while  Royal  was  past- 
ing them." 

"  Yes,"  rejoined  her  father,  "  all  have  helped 
•  excepting  me." 

"  Well,  father,"  said  Royal,  "  I  wish  you  would 
make  us  a  till." 
2 


14  LUCY    AT    PLAT. 

*'  A  till,"  repeated  his  father ;  "  what  kind  of  a 
till  ?  " 

"  Why,  a  till  here  in  the  side,"  said  Royal,  '■  to 
keep  the  small  things  in." 

Royal  explained  more  fully  to  his  father  what 
he  meant  by  a  till  ;  and  his  father  said  that  he 
would  see  if  he  could  mak^-  one ;  and  that  he 
would  go  to  work  upon  it  that  very  evening,  af- 
ter tea. 

Accordingly,  about  an  hour  after  this  conversa- 
tion, they  all  can>e  out  into  the  kitchen  to  see  the 
process  of  making  the  till.  Royal  and  Lucy  set 
out  the  table,  and  put  the  box  upon  the  back  side 
of  it.  Their  mother  brought  her  work,  and  took 
her  seat  upon  the  side  opposite  to  the  one  where 
the  children  had  placed  a  chair  for  their  father. 

"  What  do  you  suppose  father  is  going  to  make 
the  till  of.  Royal  ? "  asked  Lucy. 

"  Of  boards,"  said  Royal. 

'•  O  Royal !  "  exclaimed  Lucy  ;  "  boards  are 
too  heavy." 

"  I  mean  very  thin  boards,"  said  Royal,  "  very 
thin  indeed." 

But  just  at  this  time  their  father  came  into  the 
room  with  a  large,  smooth  board  under  his  arm. 
The  board  was  about  as  large  as  the  top  of  the 


THt    MARBLE    BOX.  15 

oox ;  and  Ir  was  pretty  thick  and  heavy.  He 
brought  this  board,  and  placed  it  down  upon  the 
table. 

"  O  father,"  said  Royal,  "  are  you  going  to 
make  our  till  of  such  a  great,  heavy  board  as 
this  ? " 

"  Not  o/it,  but  on  it,"  replied  his  father. 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  that,  sir  ?  "  said  Lucy. 

"  Why,  I  am  going  to  make  your  till  of  paste- 
board ;  and  I  am  going  to  cut  it  out  upon  this 
smooth  board." 

He  then  went  out  again,  and  presently  returned 
bringing  with  him  a  large  sheet  of  very  thick 
pasteboard.  He  laid  the  pasteboard  down  upon 
the  board,  and  then,  after  measuring  upon  the 
box,  he  marked  out  a  square  upon  it,  as  long  as 
the  box  was  wide ;  and  as  it  was  a  square  which 
he  marked  out,  it  was,  of  course,  as  wide  as  it 
was  long. 

"  What  is  that  for,  father?  "  said  Luc  v. 

"  That  is  for  the  bottom  of  your  till,"  replied 
her  father. 

He  then  took  a  large  pair  of  dividers,  which  he 
had  brouo;ht  with  liim,  and  be^an  to  mark  and 
measure  In  various  ways,  so  that  Lucy  could  noi 
understand  at  all  what  he  was  doing. 

Presently  he  said,  —  ^ 


16 


LUCY    AT    PLAY. 


"  Shou.d  you  prefer  to  have  a  fixed,  or  a  sliding 
.ill,  children  ?  " 

"  O,  a  sliding  till,"  said  Royal ;  "  let's  have  a 
sliding  till,  Lucy.  But,  father,"  he  continued, 
after  a  moment's  pause,  "  what  is  a  sliding  till  ?  " 

'•  How  do  you  know  that  you  should  like  a 
sliding  till,  if  you  do  not  know  what  it  is  ? "  asked 
his  father. 

"Why,  I  am  pretty  sure,"  said  Royal,  "^that  I 
should  like  a  till  that  would  slide.  But  I  never 
saw  one  that  would  slide.  They  are  almost  al- 
ways fastened  in  at  the  end." 

Royal  was  con'ect  in  this  statement.  The  till 
of  a  chest  is  commonly  a  shallow  box  passing 
across  the  end  of  it,  near  the  top,  and  is  usually 
fastened  to  its  place.  But  there  is  an  inconveni- 
ence in  having  it  fastened,  unless  it  is  made  quite 
small ;  for,  if  it  is  large,  it  covers  and  conceals  the 
things  which  are  below  it,  in  the  bottom  of  the 
chest. 

Now,  Lucy's  father  wanted  to  make  his  till 
pretty  large.  He  cut  it  out  square,  as  long,  each 
way,  as  the  width  of  the  marble  box.  Now,  as 
the  marble  box  was  about  twice  as  lon^  as  it  was 
wide,  it  follows  that  the  till  was  larse  enough  to 
cover  one  half  of  the  upper  part  of  the  box.  If, 
.herefore,  it  had  been  fixed  into  its  place,  it  woulo 


tHE    MARBLE    BOX.  H 

nave  been  inconvenient  on  account  of  its  covering 
and  concealino:  the  things  beneath  it,  and  making 
It  difficult  to  get  them  out.  So  Royal's  father 
concluded  to  make  it  movable. 

The  arrangement  which  he  adopted  to  secure 
this  object  was  this :  He  brought  in  two  strips  of 
wood,  which  he  cut  off  so  as  to  make  them  just 
as  long  as  the  box  itself,  inside.  He  then  bored 
two  holes  in  each  of  these  strips,  and,  by  means 
of  some  little  screws,  he  screwed  them  to  the  sides 
of  the  box,  within,  about  three  inches  from  the 
top.  Royal  and  Lucy  watched  their  father  very 
intently  while  he  was  doing  this  ;  but  they  did  not 
ask  any  questions.  They  thought  that  it  might 
interrupt  him,  and  disturb  his  calculations,  if  they 
were  to  ask  him  questions ;  so  they  prefen'ed  to 
look  on  and  observe  for  themselves. 

"  Now  I  understand,"  said  Royal,  when  his 
father  was  screwing  on  the  second  strip. 

"  What  ?  "  said  Lucy.    "  What  is  it  ?    Tell  mer 

"  Why,  these  strips  are  for  the  till  to  slide  on. 
Father  is  going  to  make  a  till,  and  put  it  in  there, 
and  let  it  rest  upon  those  strips.  Those  must  be 
the  sliders  for  the  till  to  slide  upon.  Isn't  it  so, 
father  ? " 

His  father  did  not  answer,  but  went  on  with 
his  work. 


18  LUCY    AT    PLAY. 

""  It  must  be  so,  I  know,"  said  Royal  ;  "  and  U 
is  an  excellent  plan.  1  like  a  sliding  till  a  great 
deal  better  than  one  that's  nailed  in,  so  that  you 
3an't  move  it." 

When  Royal's  father  had  got  the  sliders  secured 
in  their  proper  places,  he  began  to  work  again 
upon  the  till  itself. 

"  Father,"  said  Lucy,  "■  why  did  not  you  finish 
the  till  before  you  made  the  sliders  ?  You  very 
often  tell  us  that  we  must  always  finish  one  thing 
before  we  begin  another." 

"  Did  1  say  always  1 "  asked  her  father,  "  or 
generally  1 " 

"  AlwaySy  I  believe,  lather,"  said  Lucy,  paus- 
ing a  moment,  as  if  trying  to  think.  "  Yes,  I 
believe  you  said  always,''^ 

"  Then  I  made  a  mistake,"  said  her  father ;  "  1 
ought  to  have  said  generally  :  it  is  a  good  gen- 
eral rule,  but  there  are  some  exceptions.  There 
are  very  few  rules  which  have  not  some  excep- 
tions." 

While  this  and  similar  conversation  was  win" 

o         o 

forward,  Lucy's  father  continued  industriously  at 
work  upon  the  till.  He  cut  out  a  piece  of  paste- 
board of  such  a  shape  that  there  was  a  large, 
square  piece  for  a  bottom  in  the  middle,  and  side 
pieces  all  around.     He  then  carefully  folded  up 


tHE     MARBLE    BOX.  19 

the  sides,  and  the  pasteboard   thus  assumed   the 
fonn  of  a  box. 

"  Now,"  said  Royal,  "  how  are  you  ojoin»  to 
fasten  the  sides  up  in  their  places  ?  " 

'*'  Why,  mother  can  sew  them,"  said  Lucy. 

"  No,"  replied  her  father,  "  that  will  not  do 
very  well ;  for  the  stitches  would  show  throut^h 
the  paper  that  1  am  goin^  to  cover  the  till  with. 
Besides,  it  would  be  very  hard  indeed  to  sew  such 
stiff,  thick  pasteboard  as  this  is." 

"  The  paper  will  hold  it,"  said  Royal.  "  When 
it  is  all  covered  over  with  blue  paper,  pasted 
down  strons:,  that  will  hold  the  sides  tofjether  in 
their  places." 

"  No,"  said  his  father,  "  not  strong  enough. 
The  paste  would  hold;  but  then  the  paper  itself 
would  break  away  at  the  corners,  after  a  time,  and 
so  the  till  would  be  spoiled." 

"  How  shall  you  do  it,  then  ?  "  asked  Lucy. 

"  You'll  see,"  replied  her  father. 

By  observing  him  continually,  the  children  did 
see.  Their  father  took  some  strips  of  cotton  cloth, 
and  pasted  them  over  the  corners,  turning  the 
edges  over  inside  of  the  box,  and  pasting  them 
down  smooth.  Then  he  covered  the  whole  with 
T)lue  paper,  just  a?  Royal  had  lined  riie  inside  of 


20  LUCt    A'r    PL,AY. 

the  box  ;  and  when  this  work  was  completed,  the 
lill  was  done. 

He  then  put  the  till  carefully  into  the  box,  and 
let  it  rest  upon  the  sliders.  He  showed  the  chil- 
dren, too,  how  it  would  slide  along  from  one  end 
to  the  other 

"  Let  me  slide  it,"  said  Lucy. 

"  Very  carefully,"  said  her  father,  "  for  ii  is  not 
dry  yet." 

"  And  will  it  tear,  now  that  it  is  not  dry  ?  '*  saio 
Lucy. 

"  Perhaps  it  may  not  tear,  but  it  will  (easily 
get  bent  out  of  shape.  To-mon"ow  you  can  sHde 
it  as  much  as  you  please." 

The  top  of  the  till  was  just  level  with  the  top 
of  the  chest,  so  that  the  lid  would  shut  down  tight, 
just  as  if  there  was  no  till  in  it.  So  Lucy's  father 
shut  the  hd  down  when  it  was  all  ready,  and  told 
the  children  that  they  might  put  the  box  away. 

"  We  call  it  the  marble  box,"  said  Lucy. 

"  1  should  think  you  had  better  call  it  the  con- 
valescent box,"  said  her  father,  "  since  it  is  to 
be  kept  exclusively  for  cases  of  convalescence." 

"  What  does  that  mean,  sir  ? "  said  Lucy. 

"  Convalescence  means  getting  well,"  leplietl 
her  father,   "  after  you  have  been  sick       So  I 


THE     MARBLE    BOX.  21 

sliould  tnink  that  that  would  he  the  most  appro- 
priate name.     It  is  not  really  a  marble  box." 

"  No,  sir/'  said  Lucy  ;  "  only  it  looks  like  mar^ 
bio,  and  so  we  call  it  the  marble  box." 

•'  Yes,  sir,"  said  Royal ;  "  and,  besides,  I  don't 
think  that  convalescent  box  \\ould  be  a  very  good 
name,  for  that  would  mean  that  the  box  itself  was 
getting  well,  —  whereas,  in  fact,  it  is  only  the  chil- 
dren." 

"  True,"  rephed  his  father  ;  "  that  is  an  objec- 
tion. But  let  me  see ;  I  believe  we  do  use  de- 
scriptive epithets  in  that  way." 

•'  Descriptive  epithets,"  repeated  Royal ;  "  what 
are  descriptive  epithets?  " 

"  Why,  the  word  convalescent,^^  replied  his 
father,  "  is  an  epithet.  It  is  applied  to  box,  in 
order  to  describe  it ;  and  so  it  is  called  a  descrip- 
tive epithet." 

"  Then  I  think,"  said  Royal,  "  that  it  ought  to 
describe  the  box,  and  not  the  persons  that  are  to 
use  it ;  or  else  it  is  not  a  good  descriptive  epithet." 

'•  So  should  I,"  added  Royal's  mother. 

'•'  But  I  believe  we  do  use  epithets  in  that  way. 
For  example,  we  say  a  sick  room;  but  we  don't 
mean  that  the  room  is  sick,  but  only  the  persons 
that  are  in  it.     And  so  we  say  j  long  and  iveary 


22  LUCY    AT    PI,  AY. 

load;  but  it  is  not  the  road  that  is  weary    :u\ 
only  the  people  that  travel  it." 

"  It  is  the  road  that  is  long,'^  said  Royal. 

"  Yes,"  replied  his  father,  "  but  not  weanj^ 

"  But  perhaps,"  said  Lucy's  mother,  "  all  such 
expressions  are  incorrect." 

"  No,"  said  her  father ;  *'  usage  makes  thein 
correct.  There  is  no  other  rule  for  good  English 
than  good  usage." 

"  Very  well,  then,"  said  Lucy's  mother  ;  "  I'll 
call  it  the  convalescent  box  ;  and  I  think  it  will 
be  a  very  convenient  box  indeed." 

They  did  no  more  about  the  box  that  evening ; 
.  for  it  was  now  time  for  the  children  to  go  to  bed. 
The  next  day,  however,  they  made  some  rules 
foi*  the  box,  which  Royal  wrote  out  in  r  very 
plain  hand,  and  past(id  upon  the  under  side  of  the 
lid.     They  were  as  follows  :  — 

"  Rules. 

"  1 .  This  box  must  not  be  opened  for  Royal  or 
LiUcy,  unless  they  have  been  sick  enough  to  have 
to  take  medicine. 

"  2.  It  must  be  shut  and  locked  again,  the  fir?l 
time  they  are  well  enough  to  go  out  of  doors. 

*^  3.  The  playthings  and  books  must  always  be 


THE    MARBLE    BOX.  23 

put  back    n  good  order,  and  the  key  given  ta 
mother.'' 

When  Royal  had  pasted  the  paper  containing 
a  copy  of  the  rules  into  its  place,  he  and  Lucy 
began  to  look  around  the  house  to  find  books  and 
playthings  to  put  into  it.  Lucy  said  that  she 
meant  to  go  and  ask  her  mother  what  she  had 
Detter  put  in. 

"  What  do  you  think,  mother,"  said  she,  "  that 
we  had  better  put  into  the  marble  box?  " 

"  That  is  rather  a  hard  question  to  settle,"  her 
mother  replied.  "  You  want  very  interesting 
books  and  playthings  when  you  are  sick  ;  but  then 
all  that  you  put  in  will  be  entirely  lost  to  you 
while  you  continue  well ;  for  you  know  the  box 
is  never  to  be  opened  when  you  are  well." 

''  Would  you  put  in  my  little  paint-box,  moth 
er? "  asked  Lucy. 

"  Why,  no,"  answered  her  mother,  "  I  think  1 
should  not ;  for  you  often  want  to  use  your  paint- 
box when  Marielle  comes  to  see  you." 

"  Well,  at  any  rate,"  said  Royal,  "  we  will  put 
m  all  our  little  pictures ;  for  we  don't  care  much 
about  pasting  pictures,  except  when  we  can't  go 
out  of  doors." 

They  accordingly  collected  all  their  loose  pic- 


24  ^UCY    AT    PLAf. 

tures,  and  old,  worn-out  picture-books,  such  as 
they  were  accustomed  to  cut  the  pictures  out  of,  -o 
make  new  picture-books  widi  of  their  own.  The)* 
also  had  a  number  of  pieces  of  marble  paper,  and 
gilt  paper,  and  other  kinds  of  paper,  of  various 
colors,  which  they  were  accustomed  to  use  foi 
making  litde  pocket-books,  and  wallets,  and  port- 
folios. These  they  tied  up  neady  together,  and 
laid  in  the  bottom  of  the  box. 

Then  they  selected  a  number  of  books,  such  as 
they  thought  they  could  best  spare,  and  placed 
them  in  two  rows  in  the  bottom  of  the  box,  across 
the  end.  They  also  put  in  a  number  of  play- 
things, the  large  ones  below,  and  the  smaller  ones 
in  the  till.  When  all  was  ready,  they  locked  it 
up,  and  gave  their  mother  the  key. 

That  night,  however,  when  their  father  came 
home,  the  marble  box  had  to  be  opened  again  a 
moment,  to  put  in  two  parcels  which  he  brought. 
One  looked  as  if  it  had  books  in  it,  and  the  odier 
something  of  an  in-egular  shape.  Their  father 
would  not  tell  them  what  was  in  the  parcels.  He 
only  said  it  was  something  to  amuse  convalescents, 
whenever  there  should  be  any.  He  then  locked 
up  the  box  again  immediately,  and  gave  the  key 
to  the  children,  to  be  carried  to  their  mother. 

That  evening  Lucy  said  to  Royal,  — 


THE    AlAliBLE    BOX.  2b 

"  Royal,  how  long  do  you  think  k  will  be  be- 
fore you  or  I  shall  be  sick  ?  " 

"  1  don't  know,"  said  Royal.     "  Why  :  " 
"  Because,''  said  Lucy,  "  onlv  I  should  like  tti 
ojien  our  marble  oox." 
3 


u 


vH  AFTER    11 


METAPHYSICS. 


Notwithstanding  their  father's  recommeiitia- 
tion  of  the  name  convalescent  box,  the  children 
continued  to  call  it  the  marble  box.  Lucy  said 
that  that  name  was  a  great  deal  easier,  and  she 
thought  it  was  prettier,  besides.  For  some  time 
after  this,  therefore,  the  children  were  accustomed 
to  call  it  by  one  name,  and  the  parents  by  the 
other.  Whatever  might  be  its  name,  however, 
it  was  found  to  answer  a  very  excellent  purpose. 
It  continued  to  be  used,  according  to  the  rules 
pasted  upon  its  lid ;  and  as,  in  consequence,  it 
was  not  opened  very  often,  and  as  new  books  and 
playthings  were  frequently  put  into  it,  it  came  to 
be  a  very  valuable  resource  when  the  children 
were  confined  to  the  house  by  indisposition  ;  so 
much  so  that  Lucy's  mother  said  that  she  thouglit 
it  would  be  an  excellent  plan  foi  every  family  to 
have  a  convalescent  box. 

One  time,  when  Lucy  had  oeen  sick,  —  long 
after  the  convalescent  box  was  made,  and  in  fact, 


METAl'HYSICS.  2* 

altev  It  had  been  used  a  great  many  titnes,  —  she 
cariied  a  little  cricket  up  to  it,  in  the  back  entry, 
and  sat  do\^  n  before  it,  and  began  to  read.  Roy^I 
had  helped  her  first  to  move  it  out  near  a  window 
It  was  placed  with  one  end  towards  the  window, 
and  the  lid  was  turned  back  against  a  chair  which 
she  had  placed  behind  it.  She  had  also  placed 
another  chair  before  it,  in  such  a  way  that,  when 
she  was  sitting  upon  her  cricket,  she  could  lay  hei 
book  in  this  chair,  using  it  as  a  sort  of  table 
When  Royal  had  helped  her  move  out  the  great 
box,  he  had  gone  down  into  the  yard  to  play, 
leavins  her  to  arrano-e  the  other  thino^s  herself. 

Accordingly,  when  they  were  all  arranged,  Lucy 
asked  Royal  if  he  would  not  come  up  and  see  hei 
study. 

"  Yes,"  said  Royal,  "  I  will  come." 

So  Royal  went  up  stairs  again,  to  see  Lucy's 
study,  as  she  called  it.  He  found  her  seated  upon 
rhe  cricket,  with  a  picture-book  open  before  her 
upon  the  chair. 

"  Well,  Lucy,"  said  Royal,  "  I  think  you  have 
g<jt  a  very  good  study.     What  are  you  reading  ?  " 

"  I  am  reading  stories,"  answered  Lucy. 

*•  What  stories  ?  "  said  Royal. 

"One  is  about  a  parrot,"  replied  Lucv ,  *'and 


28  LUCY    AT    PLAY 

there  are  some  others  which  I  am  going  to  read 
after  I  have  finished  this." 

^'  But  I  think,"  said  Royal,  •'  that  you  had 
better  come  down  and  play  with  me,  behind  the 
garden." 

The  fact  was,  that  Royal  was  going  to  make  a 
little  ship.  He  was  going  to  work  upon  it  at  a 
seat  in  a  shady  place  beyond  the  garden,  and  he 
wanted  some  company. 

"  Come,  Lucy,"  said  he,  "  do  go." 

"  But  1  don't  think  that  mother  will  let  me  go 
out  yet,"  replied  Lucy.  "  I  have  not  got  well 
enouijh  to  go  out." 

"  I'll  run  and  ask  her,"  said  Royal. 

Lucy  called  to  him  to  stop,  but  he  paid  no  at 
tention  to  her  call.  She  did  not  want  to  have 
him  o^o  and  ask  her  mother ;  for,  even  if  her 
mother  would  consent,  she  did  not  wish  to  go  out 
She  did  not  assign  the  true  reason.  The  true 
reason  was,  that  she  was  interested  in  the  story 
about  a  parrot,  that  could  say,  "  Breakfast  is  ready  ; 
all  come  to  breakfast,"  —  and  she  did  not  wish  to 
leave  it.  Her  fear  that  her  mother  would  not 
allow  her  to  go  out  was,  therefore,  not  the  true 
reason.     It  was  a  false  reason. 

J*eople  very  often  assign  false  reasons,  instead 


METAPHYSICS.  29 

of  true  ones,  for  what  they  do,  or  are  going  to  do 
But  it  is  very  unwise  to  do  this.  They  very  often 
get  into  difficulty  by  it.  Lucy  got  into  difficuhv 
in  this  case ;  for,  in  a  few  minutes,  Royal  came 
back,  and  said  that  his  mother  sent  her  word  thai 
she  might  go  out,  if  she  chose,  and  stay  one  hour. 

Thus  the  false  reason  which  Lucy  gave  for 
not  going  with  Royal,  was  taken  away,  and  yet 
she  did  not  want  to  go  ;  but  then  she  was  embar- 
rassed to  know  what  to  say  next.  That  is  the 
way  that  persons  often  get  into  difficulty  by  as- 
sio;ninff  reasons  which  are  not  the  honest  and  true 
reasons ;  for  the  false  reasons  are  sometimes  un- 
expectedly removed  out  of  the  way,  and  then 
they  are  placed  in  a  situation  of  embarrassment, 
not  knowing  what  to  say  next.  It  is  a  great  deaj 
better  not  to  give  any  reasons  at  all,  than  to  give 
those  which  are  not  the  ones  which  really  influ- 
ence us,  but  which  we  onlv  mvent  to  satisfy' 
other  persons. 

When  Royal  told  Lucy  that  her  mother  was 
willing  to  have  her  go  out,  she  hesitated  a  moment, 
and  then  she  said,  — 

"  Well,  Royal,  if  I  go  out  now,  I  must  shut  and 
lock  the  marble  box ;  and  then  we  cannot  open  ii 
asain  till  the  next  time  we  are  sick  :  and   tha 
may  be  a  great  while." 


5U  LUCY    AT    PLAY. 

"  Well,"  said  Royal,  ''  and  suppose  It  is." 

"  Why,  then  I  shall  have  to  wait  a  great  while 
before  I  can  hear  the  rest  about  the  parrot." 

"  O,  never  mind  the  parrot,"  said  Royal ;  "1 
will  tell  you  some  stories  that  will  be  prettier  than 
that  is,  a  great  deal,  1  dare  say." 

"  What  kind  of  a  story  will  it  be  ?  "  said  Lucy. 

"  O,  I  don't  know,"  answered  Royal.  "  What 
sort  of  a  story  should  you  like  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  much  about  the  different  kinds," 
said  Lucy.     "  How  many  different  kinds  of  stories 


I 


are  \here  ? " 


"  Come  with  me,"  replied  Royal,  "  and  I  will 
tell  you.  I  can  tell  you  all  about  it,  while  1  am 
making  my  ship." 

"  But  I  wish  you  would  tell  me  a  little  about 
it  now,"  said  Lucy,  "  and  then  I  can  decide  bet- 
ter whcither  to  come  or  not." 

'^  Well,"  said  Royal,  "  there  are  three  khids 
of  stories  —  true  stories,  probable  stories,  and  ex 


iravagant  stories." 


"Which  is  the  best  kind?"  said  Lucy.  "I 
expect  true  stories." 

"  Why,  I  don't  know,"  said  Royal.  "  If  you 
will  come  with  me,  I  will  tell  you  one  of  eacli 
kind,  and  then  you  can  judge  for  yourself." 

"  Well,  Royal,"  said  Lucy,  as  she  saw  that  he 


METAPHYSICS.  33 


was  going  away,  "just  tell  me  what  sort  of  stones 


extravagant  stones  are." 


"  Why,  they  are  a  very  queer  sort  of  stories 
indeed ;   you'll    know   when   you   come    to  hear 


jne." 


So  saying,  Royal  went  away,  leaving  Lucy  in 
much  perplexity  of  mind.  She  thought  that  she 
would  just  finish  the  story  of  the  parrot,  and  that 
she  would  then  go  and  hear 'Royal's  stories.  But 
she  could  not  read  very  fast,  and  her  mind  was 
distracted  with  w  ondering  what  sort  of  a  story  an 
extravagant  story  could  be. 

She  looked  out  at  the  window,  and  saw  Royal 
walkino-  alonff  throuiih  the  garden.  She  wished 
very  much  that  it  was  consistent  \\  ith  the  rules  of 
the  marble  box  for  her  to  go  out  and  play  vvith 
Royal  an  hour,  and  then  come  back  and  finish 
her  story  ;  but  she  knew  that  it  was  not. 

Finally,  her  curiosity  to  hear  the  extravagant 
story  triumphed,  and  she  accordingly  put  the  books 
away  into  the  box,  returned  the  till  into  its  place, 
which  she  had  taken  out  in  order  to  fjain  more 
easy  access  to  the  books  below,  and  then  shut  the 
(id  and  locked  it.  She  was  not  strong;  enou";h  to 
put  the  box  back,  where  it  belonged,  without 
Royal  ;  but  she  put  away  all  the  other  furniture 
very  carefully,  and  then  went  down  stairs. 


34  LUCY    AT    PL  A?. 

She  carried  the  key  to  her  mothei  and  said^ 
"  Here,  mother,  here  is  the  key.  I  am  going  out 
to  play  with  Royal.  He  is  going  to  tell  me  an 
extravagant  story." 

"  An  extravagant  story  !  "  repeated  her  mother, 
with  some  surprise ;  "  what  sort  of  a  story  is 
that  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  Lucy  ;  "  only  Royal 
is  going  to  tell  me  one." 

Her  mother  laughed,  saying  that  she  should 
like  to  hear  one  of  Royal's  extravagant  stories ; 
and  then  Lucy  walked  away. 

Lucy  walked  through  the  garden,  and  then 
climbed  over  the  stile  at  the  foot  of  it ;  and  when 
at  the  top  of  the  stile,  she  saw  Royal  sitting  at  a 
little  distance  in  a  shady  place  near  some  rocks. 

"  Ah,  Lucy,"  said  he,  when  he  saw  her,  "  I  am 
very  glad  that  you  have  come ;  I  want  you  very 
much.     Come,  run." 

Lucy  descended  from  the  stile,  and  walked  along 
towards  Royal  pretty  fast,  but  she  did  not  run. 

Royal  was  tying  a  knot,  about  his  rigging  ;  and 
he  wanted  Lucy  to  put  her  finger  on  to  hold  the 
fii'st  tie,  until  he  secured  it  by  a  second.     So  he 
sat  still,  holding  the  ends  of  the  thread,  and  wait 
ing  for  Lucy  to  come. 

"  Why  don't  you  run,  Lucy  ?     Here  I  am  wait- 


METAPHYSICS. 


35 


mg  all  this  time,  —  while  you  are  coming  along 


so  Slow." 


'^  No,"  rejoined  Lucy,  "  I  am  not  commg  along 
slow.     I  am  walking  as  fast  as  I  can." 

"  Walking  !  "  repeated  Royal ;  "  well,  that  is 
coming  slow.  There,  put  your  finger  on  therf 
while  I  tie  again." 

liUcy  put  her  finger  upon  the  place,  saying,  ai 
the  same  time,  that  she  did  not  think  that  all 
walking^  was  slow.  "  I  can  walk  very  fast 
indeed,"  she  added. 

"  But  I  don't  see  why  you  could  not  have  run 
a  little,"  said  Royal. 

"  Because,"  said  Lucy,  "  it  is  not  proper  for 
sick  persons  to  run.  I  have  not  got  well  enough 
yet  to  run." 

Royal  laughed  aloud  and  heartily  at  this, — 
while  Lucy  looked  disturbed  and  troubled.  They 
came  very  near  getting  into  a  serious  disagree- 
ment on  this  subject.  They  were  both  partly  in 
the  wrong.  Royal  ought  not  to  have  required 
Lucy  to  rim  to  him,  in  that  absolute  manner,  as 
if  he  had  any  right  to  claim  that  she  should  do  it. 
But,  then,  on  the  other  hand,  when  Lucy  saw 
that  Royal  was  in  haste  to  have  her  come  quick, 
and  do  somethino-  for  him,  she  ouo;ht  to  have  had 
the  kindness  to  have  run.     She  was  mistaken  m 


36  LUCY    AT    PLAY. 

supposing  that  her  being  sick  was  the  reason ; 
for,  in  about  half  an  hour  after  this,  when  Royal 
went  away  to  sail  his  vess&l,  she  ran  after  a  black 
Dutterfly,  with  yellow  spots,  for  a  considerable 
distance. 

Any  serious  difficulty,  however,  between  the 
children,  was  prevented  by  an  occurrence  which 
fortunately  intervened.  It  happened  that,  soon 
after  Lucy  left  the  house,  her  mother  asked  Miss 
Anne  to  be  kind  enough  to  walk  down  through 
the  garden,  and  see  where  she  and  Royal  were 
sitting,  in  order  to  be  sure  that  it  was  a  safe  place, 
as  she  wished  to  be  careful  that  she  should  not  in- 
cur any  danger  of  taking  cold. 

Now,  it  happened  that,  just  as  the  conversation 
between  Royal  and  Lucy  was  beginning  to  take 
this  unfavorable  turn.  Miss  Anne  appeared  coming 
over  the  stile. 

Lucy  walked  along  towards  Miss  Anne,  with  a 
countenance  expressing  some  uneasiness  of  mmd, 
which  Miss  Anne  immediately  observed,  and  she 
said,  — 

"  Well,  Lucy,  and  what  is  the  matter  now  ? " 

"  Royal  is  laughing  at  me,"  said  Lucy,  in  a 
complaining  tone.  Here  Royal  laughed  again. 
"  And  besides,"  continued  Lucy,  "  he  wants  me 
to  keep  running  all  the  time." 


METAPHYSICS.  37 

"  O  Lucy,"  said  Royal ;  "  not  so.  1  only 
wanted  you  to  run  once,  a  little ;  just  to  put  your 
finger  on  the  knot  while  I  tied  it.  Do  you  think 
there  was  any  harm  in  that,  Miss  Anne  ?  "• 

"  No,"  replied  Miss  Anne,  "  not  if  you  asked 
in  a  proper  manner.  If  you  demanded  it  of  her, 
or  spoke  harshly  to  her  because  she  would  not 
come,  —  then  you  did  wrong  ;  for  she  was  under 
no  obligation  at  all  to  run" 

"  He  scolded  me  a  little,"  said  Lucy,  "  because 
1  \vould  not  run." 

"  O  no,"  said  Royal. 

"  A  little,"  replied  Lucy.  "  I  only  said  a 
little." 

"  Did  you  know  what  he  wanted  of  you  ? " 
asked  Miss  Anne. 

"  No,"  replied  Lucy.  "  Only  I  supposed  he 
wanted  me  to  do  something  about  his  ship." 

"  Well,  I  think,  as  he  was  waiting  for  you,  you 
might  have  run  along  a  little,  Lucy.  We  ought 
to  be  willing  to  help  one  another.  It  is  as  much 
a  duty  to  be  kind  to  each  other  in  little  things  as 
in  great  things ;  so  that  I  think  you  were  both 
somewhat  to  blame." 

"  What  was  I  to  blame  for  ? "  asked  Royal. 

*''  For  findins  fault  with  her  for  not  running." 
re[Tied   Miss  Anne,  "  and  for  speaking  to  her  as 


38  LUCY    AT    PL.AY. 

if  you  had  a  right  to  require  it  of  her  She  was 
certainly  under  no  obligation  to  come  and  help 
you  at  all,  unless  she  chose  to,  herself." 

"  Why,  Miss  Anne  !  "  said  Royal ;  "  is  not  every 
body  under  obligation  to  do  their  duty  ?  You 
->aid  just  now  that  it  was  Lucy's  duty  to  come." 

Miss  Anne  did  not  immediately  answer  this 
question,  but  stood  still,  looking  into  vacancy,  as  if 
thinking ;  and  presently  a  smile,  of  a  peculiar 
expression,  came  over  her  face. 

"  What  are  you  laughing  at,  Miss  Anne  ? " 
said  Lucy. 

Miss  Anne  did  not  answer,  but  only  smiled  the 
■nore. 

"  Miss  Anne,"  said  Lucy  again,  pulling  her 
hand,  "  what  are  you  laughing  at  ?  " 

"  Why,  I  am  laughing,"  continued  Miss  Anne. 
"  to  think  how  I  am  cornered." 

"  What  do  you  mean  by  cornered  1 "  asked 
Lucy,  looking  perplexed. 

"  I  don't  see,"  continued  Miss  Anne,  "  but 
that  I  am  checkmated  entirely." 

"  What  does  that  mean,  Miss  Anne  ?  "  asked 
I-iUcy.     "1  don't  understand  one  word  you  say.'^ 

"  Why,  I  told  Royal,"  replied  Miss  Anne, 
"  that  it  was  your  duty  to  have  helped  him. 
,md " 


METAPHYSICS.  39 

"  But  I  did  help  him,  Miss  Anne,"  said  Lucy. 

"  But  I  mean,  to  run  along  quick  to  help  him,^' 
replied  Miss  Anne. 

"  I  did  walk  along  as  quick  as  I  could,"  said 
Lucy,  '^  and  I  am  not  well  enough  yet  to  run." 

"  Because  I  said  it  was  your  duty  to  make  an 
exertion  to  do  him  a  kindness,"  continued  Mis£ 
Anne,  without  appearing  to  notice  much  what  Lu- 
cy said.  "  And  that  seems  to  be  true,  without  any 
doubt.  But,  then,  on  the  other  hand,"  she  con- 
tinued, "  I  told  him  that  he  did  wrong  to  require 
it  of  you,  for  you  were  under  no  obligation  to  do 
it.  That,  too,  seems  to  be  true,  without  any  doubt. 
Both  seem  to  be  true,  considered  separately ;  and 
yet,  when  brought  together,  they  seem  to  be  in- 
consistent ;  for,  as  Royal  says,  we  are  all  under 
obligation  to  do  whatever  is  our  duty.  1  don't 
think  that  I  can  get  out  of  the  difficulty  very 
well." 

"  I  don't  see  that  there  is  any  difficulty  at  all," 
said  Lucy  ;  "  for  I  am  sure  that  Royal  ought  not 
to  make  me  run  when  I  am  sick." 

The  truth  was,  that  Lucy  was  not  old  enough 
to  understand  metaphysical  reasoning  very  well, 
—  or  any  reasoning,  in  fact.  So  they  dropped 
the  subject.  Miss  Anne  would  not  go  on  talking, 
and  pretending  to  understand  the  subject,  when 


40  LUCY    AT     PLAY. 

really  she  did  not ;  and  Royal,  satisfied  with  his 
victory,  was  desirous  of  turning  his  attention  to 
his  vessel. 

"Who  is  going  to  make  your  sails  for  you, 
Royal  ?  "  said  Miss  Anne. 

"  I  shall  have  to  make  them  myself,  I  suppose, 
unless  you  will.     See,  there  b  my  sail-cloth." 

Miss  Anne  looked  upon  a  little  sort  of  shelf  in 
the  rock  where  Royal  kepi  his  stores,  and  saw 
there  a  piece  of  white  cotton  cloth,  neatly  folded 
up,  and  lying  in  one  corner.  By  the  side  of  it 
were  a  pair  of  scissors  and  a  spool  of  thread. 

"  Where  are  your  needles  ?  "  asked  Miss  Anne. 

"  They  are  in  the  spool,"  said  Royal. 

"  In  the  spool !  "  repeated  Miss  Anne.  She 
had  never  heard  of  needles  in  a  spool. 

"  Yes,"  said  Royal ;  and  he  took  up  the  spool, 
and  showed  it  to  Miss  Anne.  There  was  a  hole 
through  the  centre  of  it,  as  is  usual  with  spools. 
One  end  of  this  hole  Royal  had  stopped  with  a 
plug,  of  such  a  shape  that,  when  it  was  in,  the  end 
of  it  was  smooth  with  the  end  of  the  spool ;  so 
that  the  spool  could  stand  up  upon  this  end  for  a 
bottom.  Then,  at  the  other  end  of  the  hole 
Royal  had  fitted  a  stopper,  with  a  part  projecting^ 
by  which  he  could  take  it  out  and  put  it  In 

Thus  the  spool  made  quite  a  good  needle-case. 


METAi"HrsICS.  4J 

Royal  kept  it  thus  always  in  readiness  for  making 
his  sails,  and  for  rigging  his  litde  ships. 

"  Very  well,"  said  Miss  Anne ;  "  and  now 
where's  your  thimble  ? " 

"  I  have  not  got  any  thimble,"  said  Royal 
"  1  don't  know  how  to  sew  with  a  thimble." 

"  Well,"  said  Miss  Anne,  "  if  you  will  cut  out 
j-our  sails,  I  will  hem  the  edges  for  you.  Lucy 
and  I  will  walk  along  up  towards  the  house, 
where  I  can  get  a  thimble ;  and  then  1  can  be  at 
work,  while  walking  back  slowly  through  the 
garden." 

Royal  did  this,  and  Miss  Anne  made  his  sails. 
They  were  better  sails  than  he  had  ever  had  be- 
fore. And  so  much  interested  did  they  all  be- 
come in  this  work,  that  Lucy  did  not  think  of  the 
stories  which  Royal  had  promised  to  tell  her.  So 
she  did  not  hear  the  extravagant  story  until 
anotlier  time. 

4« 


42 


CHAPTER    III. 

STORIES. 

A  FEW  afternoons  after  this,  when  Royal  canw 
down  stairs  from  the  room  where  he  was  accus- 
tomed to  study,  he  saw  Lucy  walking  away  from 
the  house,  with  a  little  parcel  in  her  hand. 

Lucy  turned  round,  but  she  continued  moving, 
—  walking  now,  however,  backwards ;    and  she 
said  with  a  tone  of  voice  expressive  of  great  pleas- 
ure,— 

"  I  am  going  of  an  errand.  Royal,  all  by  m^ 
self.     I  am  going  of  an  errand,  and  a  good  long 
errand  too." 

Lucy  was  so  young,  that  sLe  had  been  very 
seldom,  if  ever,  before  employed  to  go  of  errands , 
and  she  was  very  much  pleased  that  her  mother 
had  intrusted  her  with  one  now. 

"  I'll  go  with  you,  Lucy,"  said  Royal. 

"  No,"  said  Lucy,  "  I  don't  want  you  to  go 
with  me.  I  must  go  all  alone  by  myself."  I^ucy 
thought   that   having   a   companion   like    Royal 


STOKIES.  43 

would  detract  somewhat  from  the  credit  that  she 
would  deserve  by  going  alone. 

"  But,  Lucy,"  said  Royal,  "  I  won't  trouble 
you  at  all ;  and,  besides,  I'll  show  you  the  way." 

But  Lucy  did  not  wish  to  have  the  way  shown 
10  her.  One  great  part  of  the  pleasure  which 
she  took  in  the  expedition  was  in  the  idea  of  find- 
in  o;  the  way  herself. 

Lucy  kept  walking  along  backwards  all  this 
time,  and  was  just  upon  the  point  of  turning  round 
again,  when  her  foot  stmck  the  upper  part  of  a 
Ions:  and  larse  root,  which  ran  from  one  of  the 
trees  which  grew  near  the  sidewalk,  and  the 
course  of  which  was  so  near  to  the  surface  of  the 
ground,  that  the  upper  part  of  it  rose  a  little  above 
the  path.  Royal  had  just  time  to  say,  "  There 
you  go,"  when  Lucy  fell  over  upon  the  grass. 

Although  it  was  in  the  walk,  still  it  was  a 
gi-assy  place,  for  the  walk  was  not  much  travelled  ; 
so  that  Lucy  was  hurt  only  a  veiy  little.  She 
began  to  cry  ;  but,  perceiving  that  it  was  not 
necessary  in  such  a  case,  she  stopped  just  as 
Royal  came  up  to  her. 

"  There,  Lucy,  I  told  you  that  you  were  not 
biuj  enouo^h  to  m  alone." 

Royal  did  wrong  to  say  this ;  for  Lucy  had 
not  boasted  improperly  of  her   age  md  powers, 


44 


L.UCY    AT    PLAl. 


but  only  expressed  a  pleasure  which  It  was  ver) 
proper  that  she  should  feel  at  being  inti-usted  by 
her  mother  with  a  mark  of  increased  confidence 
in  her  strength  and  intelligence.  Besides,  even 
if  Lucy  had  been  vaingloriously  boasting,  her  fall 
ought  to  have  protected  her  from  taunts ;  for 
whenever  people  are  led  into  difficulty  by  their 
errors,  the  pain  they  feel  is  punishment  enough 
They  do  not  need  our  reproaches. 

However,  though  Royal  at  first  accosted  Lucy 
in  a  harsh  manner,  he  soon  changed  his  tone,  and 
went  to  help  her  up.  He  smoothed  her  dress, 
and  picked  up  her  parcel,  and  gave  it  to  her ; 
for  it  had  been  thrown  off  up  against  the  tree  by 
the  concussion. 

"  Lucy,"  said  he,  "  I'm  sorry  that  you  fell 
down ;  but  you  had  better  let  me  go  along  with 
you,  to  take  care  of  you,  and  help  you  up  if  you 
fall  down  again." 

"  No,"  said  Lucy,  "  I  want  I  j  go  and  do  the 
eiTand  myself  alone.  I  shall  not  fall  down,  if 
you  are  not  behind  me  to  talk  to  me,  and  make 
me  turn  round  and  walk  backwards." 

Royal  perceived  that  he  had  been  the  cause 
of  Lucy's  fall  ;  so  he  said  no  more  upon  that 
subject,  but  only  added,  — 

"  Well,  Lucy,  since   vou  won't  let  me  go  with 


SIURILS.  45 

jrou,  just  sit  down  here  a  few  minutes  on  the 
grass,  and  tell  me  where  you  are  going,  and  all 
about  it." 

"  No,"  said  Lucy,  ''  1  must  not  stop  to  play  or 
sit  down  by  the  way,  when  1  am  going  of  errandsj 
—  only  1  am  going  to  stop  half  an  hour  at  Mary 
Jay's." 

"  Then  you  are  going  to  Mary  Jay's,"  said 
Royal. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Lucy,  '^  to  carry  this  book." 

While  they  had  been  talking  dius,  they  had 
both  been  slowly  advancing  along  the  path. 

"  Well,  Lucy,*'  said  Royal,  "  it  does  not  do 
any  harm  for  me  to  walk  along  with  you  like  this. 
I  will  keep  a  little  behind  you,  and  so  let  you 
find  the  way  yourself;  and  then  you  shall  qo  the 
eiTand  to  Mary  Jay,  all  alone.  I  won't  speak  a 
word." 

By  these  and  similar  persuasions  Lucy  was  in* 
duced,  at  last,  to  allow  Royal  to  accompany 
her ;  and  they  walked  along  together. 

"  Now,"  said  Royal,  after  they  had  been 
walkins  alono;  locrether  a  little  while,  —  "Now, 
Lucy,  I'll  tell  you  about  the  different  kinds  of 
stories." 

"  Well,"  said  Lucy,  "  I  should  like  to  heai 
very  much  " 


46  LUCY'     AT    PLAl. 

"  First,"  said  Royal,  "  there  are  true  stones." 

"  Yes,"  said  Lucy,  ''  and  I  like  true  stories 
voiy  much." 

"  Next,  there  are  probable  stories.  The  things 
did  not  really  happen,  but  there  is  nodiing  in  them 
but  what  might  have  happened  well  enough." 

"  Now  tell  me  a  probable  story,"  said  Lucy. 

"  Well,"  said  Royal.  "  Once  there  was  a  boy 
who  had  a  cat,  —  a  beautiful  Malta  cat.  He 
tied  a  pink  ribbon  around  her  neck  for  a  collar." 

"O  Royal,"  said  Lucy,  "  I  never  heard  of  a 
cat  with  a  collar." 

"  No,"  replied  Royal ;  "  they  generally  put 
collars  upon  dogs ;  but  this  boy  had  no  dog,  and 
so  he  put  a  collar  on  his  cat." 

"  What  was  his  name?  "  asked  Lucy. 

"His  name  was — George ;  —  - no,  Jeremiah," 
said  Royal,  correcting  himself. 

"  How  came  you  to  say  it  was  George  first  ?  " 
asked  Lucy. 

."  Why,  first,"  replied  Royal,  "  I  thought  I 
would  have  him  named  George ;  but  then  I 
thought  that  would  not  be  so  good  a  name ;  and 
so  I  chan2:ed  it  to  Jeremiah." 

"  But,  Royal,"  said  Lucy,  "  1  want  to  know 
what  his  real  name  was." 


STORIES.  4? 

'  Why,  he  had  no  real  name,"  answered  Royal, 
•^  only  what  I  give  him." 

"  Why.  isn't  it  a  true  story  ?  " 

*'  No,"  said  Royal,  "  certainly  not ;  this  is  only 
a  probable  story.  1  have  to  make  it  up  as  I  go 
along." 

"  O,"  said  Lucy.  "  Very  well,  —  only  I  was 
thinking  that  it  was  true." 

"  The  boy,"  continued  Royal,  "  taught  his  cat 
to  follow  him  like  a  dog.  He  would  walk  down 
into  the  fields  and  woods,  and  the  cat  would  follow 
him  all  about.  Sometimes  she  would  climb  up 
to  the  tops  of  the  trees,  trying  to  catch  squirrels." 

"  And  could  she  catch  them  ? "  asked  Lucy. 

"  No,  indeed,"  said  Royal,  in  reply ;  "  they 
were  a  great  deal  too  nimble  for  her.  Besides, 
they  were  light,  and  she  was  heavy  ;  and  so  they 
could  run  out  upon  the  light  and  slender  branches, 
where  she  could  not  go.  Once,  she  went  out 
after  one,  and  the  branch  was  so  slender,  that  it 
bent  away  down,  and  she  came  tumbling  down 
upon  Jeremiah's  shoulders." 

Here  Lucy  and  Royal  stopped  to  have  a  good 
laugh  at  this  idea,  which  Lucy  seemed  to  consider 
very  amusing. 

"  But  Jeremiah  caught  a  great  many  ?nice  with 
his  cat,"   said    Royal,   "  although   he  could   no. 


48  LUCY    AT     PLAY. 

catch   squirrels.      He  caught  field   mice,  in  tTie 
grass.     He  would  walk  about,  and  whenever  he 
saw    a    mouse,    he    would   call,  '  Here,   Merry 
Merry,  Merry  ! '  " 

"  What  did  he  mean  by  that  ? "  asked  Lucy. 

•'  Why,  he  meant  his  cat,"  replied  Royal ;  "  her 
name  was  Merry." 

"  And  would  Merry  come?  "  a^sked  Lucy. 

"  Yes,"  said  Royal,  "  she  would  come  running 
along,  with  her  red  collar  about  her  neck,  and  the 
large  bow-knot  under  her  chin." 

"  You  did  not  tell  me  any  thing  about  the  bow- 
knot  before,"  said  Luc  v. 

••  No,"  said  Royal ;  "  I  just  thought  it  would  be 
a  good  plan  to  have  a  bow-knot." 

"  Well,  what  else  ?  "  said  Lucy. 

*'  When  the  boy  found  that  he  could  teach  his 
cat  so  much,  he  concluded  that  he  would  teach 
her  to  sail  on  a  board,  in  the  litde  pond;  —  foi 
you  must  understand  diat  there  was  a  litde  pond 
behind  his  father's  house.  So,  in  order  to  teach 
her,  he  used  to  feed  her  at  first  very  near  the 
water;  then  on  the  board,  which  he  would  place 
every  day  more  and  more  on  the  water.  At  last 
he  taught  her  to  go  on  eating  a  piece  of  meat 
while  the  board  was  sailing  about  the  pond  ;  and 
finally  she  would  lie  quietly  on  the  board,  when 


STORIES.  49 

she  had  not  any  laing  to  eat,  and  so  let  hinn  saL 
her  all  about  the  water.  He  made  a  board  of  the 
shape  of  the  deck  of  a  vessel,  and  put  two  masts 
into  it ;  and  he  fastened  a  long  string  to  the  bows, 
and  he  would  take  hold  of  the  end  of  this  strins; 
himself,  standing  on  the  shore.  When  his  cat 
was  sailing,  he  used  to  call  her  Captain  Merry  of 
the  ship  Floater.  She  looked  beautifully  when 
she  was  sailing,  sitting  up  straight,  with  her  face 
towards  the  bows,  her  tail  curled  round  to  one 
side,  and  the  beautiful  bow-knot  under  her  chin." 

Here  Lucy  clapped  her  hands,  and  seemed 
much  delighted  with  the  picture  which  Royal 
thus  presented  to  her  imagination. 

"  Besides,"  said  Royal,  "  MeiTy's  red  collar 
was  useful  as  well  as  beautiful ;  for,  after  a  while, 
the  mice  in  the  field  were  all  tembly  afraid  when 
they  saw  any  thing  red ;  and  so  Jeremiah  just 
scattered  a  parcel  of  red  rags  about,  and  that 
frightened  them  all  away." 

Here  Royal  and  Lucy  made  the  road  ring  with 
long  and  loud  peals  of  laughter.  When  their  glee, 
however,  had  in  some  measure  subsided,  Lucy 
said, — 

"  And  is  that  what  you  call  a  probable  story. 
Royal  ? " 

"Why  —  yes,"  said   Royal,  with    some  hesi- 


50 


X.UCY    AT    PI.AY. 


tation,  '*  all   except  frightening  the  mice  away. 
I  don't  think  that  is  very  probable.     But  all  th« 
rest  is ;  for  a  boy  might  very  easily  put  a  red  rib 
bon  around  his  cat's  neck  for  a  collar,  and  then 
he  might  teach  her  to  sail  on  a  board,  by  mana 
ging  kindly  and  carefully.     But  as  for  frightening 
away  all  the  mice  by  red  rags,  I  think  myself  tha 
that  was  rather  extravagant." 

"  And  now,  Royal,"  said  Lucy,  "  tell  me  an 
extravagant  story." 

"  Well,"  said  Royal.  "  Once  there  were  some 
cnimney  swallows  who  built  their  nests  in  a  great 
hollow  tree.     The/  thought  it  was  a  chimney.' 

•■'  O  Royal,"  said  Lucy,  "  they  would  know, 
because  it  was  not  square." 

"No,"  said    Royal,    "not   at    all.      Chimney 
swallows  don't  understand  geometry." 
"  What  is  geometry  ?  "  asked  I^ucy. 
"  Why,  it  is  about  squares  and  rounds,  and  all 
other   shapes.      Chimney   swallows    don't    know 
any  thing  about  it." 

"  I  should  think,"  said  Lucy,  "  that,  if  they 
could  see  at  all,  they  could  tell  whether  any  thing 
was  square  or  round." 

"Besides,"  said  Royal,  "some  chimneys  are 
lound,  and  perhaps  these  swallows  thought  that 
this   was   a   round   chimney.     At  any  rate,  they 


STORIES.  51 

built  their  nests  in  it,  and  found  that  it  was  a  very 
good  place. 

"  By  and  by,"  continued  Royal,  "  there  came 
two  large  gray  squirrels,  and  they  built  a  nest  in 
a  small  hole  pretty  near  the  bottom  of  the  tree, 
about  as  high  as  a  man's  head.  The  hole  went 
in  above  a  branch,  and  was  just  big  enough  for 
the  squirrels  to  creep  in.  And  it  was  large 
enough  inside  to  hold  ever  so  many  nuts  and 
acorns." 

"  Wasn't  the  tree  all  hollow,  from  top  to  bot- 
tom ? "  said  Lucy. 

"  No,"  replied  Royal,  "  only  a  small  place  at 
the  top,  where  it  had  been  broken  off  by  the 
lightning.  That  let  the  rain  in,  and  rotted  it 
down  some  way  ;  but  the  bottom  of  the  tree  was 
large  and  strong. 

"So  the  squiiTels  and  the  chimney  swallows 
lived  here  in  peace  for  some  time.  At  last  there 
came  a  great  monkey,  and  he  climbed  up  into  the 
middle  of  the  tree,  and  held  on  there  by  his  tail." 

"  By  his  tail  1 "  said  Lucy. 

"  Yfts  ;  he  curled  his  tail  around  a  branch,  and 
so  held  on  while  he  gathered  nuts." 

"  Were  there  any  nuts  on  the  tree  ?  "  asked 
Lucy. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Royal,  '*  monstrous  great  nuts, 


52  LUCY    At    PLAY. 

as  big  as  my  fist,  —  and  very  sweet.  Well,  onw 
of  the  squiiTels,  when  he  saw  the  monkey,  went 
up  and  said,  '  Monkey,  this  is  our  tree.' 

"But  the  monkey  begged  the  squirrel  to  let 
him  stay.  He  said  that,  if  they  would,  he  would 
do  them  some  favor,  some  day  or  other.  So  the 
squirrel  let  him  stay. 

"  By  and  by,  a  man  came  along  through  the 
woods  with  an  axe;  and  he  went  up  to  look  at 
this  tree.  He  concluded  that  he  would  cut  it 
down.     So  he  began  to  take  off  his  coat. 

"  The  squirrel  came  out  of  his  hole,  and  crept 
around  the  back  side  of  the  tree,  where  the  man 
could  not  see  him,  and  said  to  the  monkey, 
'  Monkey,  there  is  a  man  going  to  cut  down  oui 
tree.' 

"'Ah!'  said  the  monkey;  'well,  I'm  pretty 
cunning ;  I  can  contrive  some  way  to  drive  him 
off.  Do  you  go  up  and  tell  the  swallows  while 
I  think.'  So  the  squirrel  went  up  and  told  the 
swallows,  and  they  all  came  down ;  and  then  the 
other  squirrel  and  all  the  little  squirrels  came  up, 
and  gathered  around  the  monkey  in  the  middle 
of  the  tree.  He  then  told  them  what  to  do.  He 
told  the  swallows  to  fly  off  softly,  and  one  by  one, 
into  the  neighborino;  trees.  Then  he  told  the  two 
nld  squirrels  and  all   the  little  squirrels  to  creep 


STORIES.  53 

dow^n  to  the  branches  that  were  directly  over  the 
man's  head.  Then  he  said  that  he  would  break 
off  a  great  many  branches,  and  have  them  all 
ready  ;  and  when  he  gave  the  signal,  the  birds 
must  all  fly  together  about  his  ears,  making  as 
loud  a  chirping  as  they  could,  and  the  squirrels 
must  jump  down  upon  his  head,  and  he  would 
throw  his  branches  down,  and  then  come  tumbling 
down  himself  with  a  prodigious  noise  and  chatter- 
ing ;  and  all  that,  he  thought,  would  frighten  the 
man  away." 

"  And  did  they  do  so  ?  "  asked  Lucy. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Royal.  "  The  monkey  gave 
the  signal,  and  they  all  came  upon  the  man  to- 
gether,— branches,  birds,  squirrels,  and  monke}  , — 
and  with  such  a  screaming,  chiruping,  chatter- 
ino;,  and  flutterino;,  that  the  man  was  fris;htened 
away  out  of  the  woods  ;  and  he  did  not  dare  to 
come  back  until  the  next  day,  even  to  get  his 
coat." 

Lucy  smiled  a  little  at  this  ingenious  plan 
tbrmed  by  the  monkey,  and  then,  after  a  moment's 
pause,  she  asked,  — 

'*  Is  that  an  extravagant  stoiy,  Royal  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Royal,  "  1  think  that  is  extrava' 
gant  enou2;h." 

"  Well,"  rejoined  Luc)',  "  I  like  it  pretty  weK 


54  LUCY    AT    PLAV. 

**  And  now  have  vou  told  me  all  the  kinds  of 
stories  r  '* 

"  Yes,  I  believe  so,"  replied  Royal. 

*■'  No,"  added  Lucy,  "  you  have  not  told  nie 
any  true  story.  Just  tell  me  one  true  story,  and 
that  will  be  all." 

"  Well,"  replied  Royal,  "  let  me  consider.  — 
Well.  Once  there  was  a  little  girl,  and  she  was 
goino;  of  an  errand  for  her  mother." 

"  What  was  her  name  ?  "  asked  Lucy. 

"  O,  never  mind  about  her  name,"  said  Royai 
"  She  was  going  of  an  errand  to  carry  a  book.'' 

"  That's  just  like  my  errand,"  said  Lucy. 

"  After  she  had  set  out,"  continued  Royal,  "  her 
brother  came  and  called  to  her,  and  she  turned 
round  to  speak  to  him.  While  she  w^as  speaking 
to  him,  she  kept  walking  on  backwards." 

"  Why,  that's  me.  Royal.  I  verily  believe  you 
are  telling  about  me." 

"  And  she  tripped  over  a  root,  and  tumbled 
down,"  continued  Royal. 

"  It  is  nobody  but  me,"  said  Lucy,  "  I  know , 
and  I  don't  want  to  hear  that." 

"  But  that  is  a  true  story,  and  you  said,  before  I 
began,  that  you  liked  true  stories  the  best." 

"  Well,  I  don't,"  said  Lucy ;  "  I  like  the  ex- 
tra vHgant  stories  the  besf  " 


STORIES.  55 

B3'  this  time,  Liic}'  and  Ro3'al  reached  Mary 
Ja\''s,  and  Liic}*  went  in  to  do  her  errand,  while 
Royal  walked  around  behind  the  house  to  see  the 
water  post,  which  is  described  in  the  book  called 
Lucy  At  Study. 


bf 


CHAPTER    IV. 

THL   RIDE    TO   TOWN 

Lucy's  father  lived  not  a  great  inany  miles 
from  a  town  which  was  quite  la  ge ;  and  the 
family  used  often  to  ride  to  the  town  in  a  chaise 
or  caiTyall.  When  only  two  wanted  to  go,  they 
took  the  chaise ;  but  if  more  than  two,  the  carry- 
all, as  that  had  seats  for  four. 

One  pleasant  morning,  Lucy,  Miss  Anne,  and 
Royal,  set  out  in  the  carryall  to  go  to  the  town^ 
to  do  some  shopping.  Royal  sat  upon  the  front 
seat  to  drive.  Lucy  and  Miss  Anne  sat  behind. 
Royal  moved  out  to  the  end  of  the  front  seat,  and 
then  sat  with  his  back  turned  a  little  to  the  side 
of  the  carryall ;  and  by  this  arrangement  he  could 
see  the  horse,  and  could  also  join  in  the  conversa- 
tion with  Lucy  and  Miss  Anne. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  buy  in  town.  Miss 
Anne  ?  "  asked  Royal. 

"  O,  various  things,"  replied  Miss  Anne ; 
*'  among  the  rest,  I  am  going  to  buy  a  book  foi 
Lucy."" 


THE    RIDE    TO    TOWN.  57 

"  What  book  ?  "  asked  Royal. 

"  We  have  not  decided.  We  are  going  to 
cl)oose  it  when  we  get  to  the  bookstore." 

Just  at  this  moment,  Royal's  attention  was  at- 
tracted by  the  sight  of  the  heads  of  a  yoke  of 
?xen,  just  coming  into  view,  in  the  road  before 
them,  as  they  were  coming  up  a  hill.  The  heads 
seemed  to  shake  and  to  be  agitated,  as  if  the  oxen 
were  running.  As  they  came  up  higher,  and 
Royal  could  see  a  part  of  their  bodies,  he  found 
that  they  were  running,  and  drawing  after  them 
a  large  hay  cart ;  that  is,  a  cart  with  a  large  rack 
upon  the  axletree,  for  holding  hay,  instead  of  the 
common  cart-body.  The  hay  cart  was  empty. 
There  was  nobody  near  the  oxen  to  drive  them. 

In  an  instant,  however,  Royal's  eye  glanced 
farther  down  the  hill,  —  for  he  had  now  advanced 
so  far  towards  the  brow  of  it,  that  he  could  see 
better,  —  and  there  he  perceived  a  man  running  up 
the  hill,  with  a  goad-stick  in  his  hand,  and  shout- 
ing out  all  the  time,  for  the  oxen  to  stop. 

"  O  dear  me !  "  said  Lucy,  "  O  dear  me !  now 
we  shall  all  be  run  over." 

"  Take  the  reins,  Miss  Anne,"  said  Royal : 
"just  take  the  reins."  So  saying,  he  passed  the 
reins  into  Miss  Anne's  hands  on  the  back  seat,  and 
sprang  out  of  the  canyalL     He  ran  forward,  and 


58  LUCY    AT    PLAY. 

began  to  inarch  up  towards  the  oxen  with  a  bold 
and  determined  look,  brandishing  his  whip,  and 
shouting  to  them,  to  make  them  stop. 

The  oxen  slackenea  their  pace  a  little,  but  did 
not  seem  much  inclined  to  stop.  They,  however, 
turned  a  little  to  one  side.  Royal  then  concluded 
to  let  them  go  on,  but  to  drive  them  away  out  to 
one  side,  so  that  they  should  not  run  against  the 
carryall.  So  he  flourished  his  whip  at  them,  and 
turned  them  off  more  and  more.  The  oxen 
sftook  their  heads  at  Royal,  but  ran  on,  until,  at 
length,  one  wheel  of  the  cart  passed  over  a  large 
stone  by  the  side  of  the  road,  while  the  other  sank 
into  a  hole,  and  the  cart  upset.  The  great  rack 
tumbled  off  upon  one  side,  and  the  oxen,  having 
come  up  against  the  fence,  stopped.  Just  at  this 
moment,  the  man  came  running  up  to  them. 

"  1  am  very  much  obliged  to  you  for  stopping 
my  steers,"  said  the  man.  "  They  are  as  wild  as 
a  pair  of  colts." 

Royal  looked  at  the  oxen,  and  observed  that 
they  were  quite  small. 

"  1  have  been  to  get  this  hay  cart,"  continued 
the  man,  "  and,  while  I  stepped  into  the  black- 
smith's shop  a  minute,  they  got  away,  and  under- 
took to  run  home.  I  am  much  obliged  to  vou  loi 
stopping  them." 


THE    RIDE    TO    TOWN.  59 

''  But  I  am  sorry  your  cart  is  broken,"  said 
Royal. 

"  O.  it  is  not  broken,"  replied  the  man,  "only 
the  rack  has  come  off.  I  can  put  it  right  on 
again,  —  if  you  would  be  so  good  as  to  stop  and 
help  me  a  moment,  about  backing  the  oxen." 

Just  then  the  man  happened  to  see  a  boy  com- 
ing up  the  road,  and  he  immediately  said,  — 

"  Ah,  no  ;  here  comes  Jeny.  Jerry  1  "  said  he, 
m  a  louder  voice,  callino;  to  the  bov,  "  come  her** 
quick,  and  help  me  get  this  rack  on." 

Then  Royal,  finding  that  he  was  no  longe; 
needed,  got  into  the  carryall  again,  took  the  reins 
from  Miss  Anne's  hands,  and  drove  on. 

"  The  man  seems  very  glad  to  get  his  oxen 
ao:ain ,"  said  Miss  Anne. 


"  His  steers,"  said  Lucy.  "  He  said  they  were 
steal's." 

"  Yes,"  added  Royal ;  "  but  he  need  not  have 
thanked  me  so  much  for  stopping  his  steers ;  I  did 
not  think  of  doing  him  any  good, — but  only  ol 
keeping  them  from  mnning  against  the  carryall." 

Lucy  here  kneeled  up  upon  the  seat,  and  put 
her  head  out  at  the  side  of  the  carryall,  where  the 
(.villain  had  been  rolled  up,  and  looked  back  tJ 
see  what  they  were  doing. 


60  LUCY    AT    PLAY. 

"  How  do  they  get  along,  Lucy  ?  "  said  Royal. 

''  Why,  the  man  has  got  the  hay  cart  out  in  the 
road,  and  the  oxen  and  the  wheels  too." 

"  The  hay  rack,  you  mean,"  said  Royal. 

"  Yes,"  said  Lucy,  "  that  great  thing  like  a 
cage,  which  tumbled  off.  Now  the  man  is  hold- 
ing it  up,  and  the  boy  is  backing  the  oxen  so  as 
to  get  the  wheels  under  it.  Do  you  think  you 
could  have  backed  the  oxen,  Royal,  if  his  boy 
had  not  come  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Royal,  "  I  could  have  backed 
them,  I  have  no  doubt." 

"  There  was  one  thing,"  said  Miss  Anne,  "  that 
I  noticed,  that  was  singular." 

"  What  was  it  ?  "  asked  Royal. 

"  Why,  the  great  difference  in"  the  man's  way 
of  speaking,  when  he  was  asking  Royal  to  help 
him  put  his  cart  together,  and  when  he  called  the 
boy  to  come." 

"  Yes,"  said  Royal ;  "  he  asked  me  if  I  would 
be  kind  enough  to  do  it ;  but  he  said  to  Jeriy, 
'  Here,  Jerry,  come  here  quick." 

"  Yes,"  rejoined  Miss  Anne ;  ''  now,  what 
was  the  reason  of  the  difference  ?  " 

"  Why,  Jerry  was  his  boy,  I  suppose,"  said 
Lucy. 


THE    KIDE    TO    TOWN.  61 

"  I  dou't  see  that  that  makes  any  difference, 
Said  Royal,  "  A  man  ought  to  speak  as  pleas- 
antly to  his  boy  as  to  any  other  boy." 

"  He  did  speak  pleasantly,"  said  Miss  Anne, 
''  only  he  spoke  to  Jerry  in  the  form  of  command ; 
but  in  speaking  to  you,  he  only  made  a  re- 
quest. The  reason  was,  as  Lucy  says,  that  Jerry 
was  his  boy,  and  so  bound  to  do  whatever  he 
should  say  ;  but  you  were  not  his  boy,  and  there- 
fore under  no  obligation  to  help  him." 

'^No,"  said  Royal,  "I  might  do  just  as  I 
pleased  about  it." 

"And  yet,"  said  Miss  Anne,  "are  you  not 
under  obligation  to  help  any  one  whom  you  find 
in  trouble  or  difficulty  when  you  can  do  it  so 
easily  ?  " 

"  Why,  yes,"  said  Royal. 

"So  it  seems,  in  that  point  of  view,  that  you 
were  under  obligation  to  help  the  man,  as  truly  as 
his  boy  Jerry  was, —  though  it  was  an  obligation 
of  a  different  kind.  He  was  bound  to  do  it,  be- 
cause it  is  every  boy's  duty  to  obey  his  father ; 
you,  because  it  is  every  boy's  duty  to  help  those 
who  are  in  difficulty  or  trouble." 

"  Yes,"  said  Royal. 

"  It  is  a  case  very  much  like  the  one  we  had 
the  other  day,  when  Lucy  would  not  run  to  help 

6 


6?  LUCY    AT    PLAY. 

you  tie  the  knot.  1  asked  your  father  about  i\ 
afterwards,  and  he  explained  it  to  me." 

"  And  what  did  he  say  about  it  ?  "  asked  Royal. 

"Why,  he  said,"  rejoined  Miss  Anne,  "  that  it 
very  often  happens  that  there  is  a  duty  which  we 
ought  to  perform  to  a  person,  and  yet  we  are  not 
responsible  to  him  if  we  do  not  perform  it.  He 
told  me  a  story  to  help  explain  it." 

"  What  was  the  story,  Miss  Anne  ? "  said 
Lucy.     "  Tell  it  to  us." 

"  It  was  about  a  widow  and  her  garden.  The 
widow  was  poor,  and  radier  cross,  and  she  had 
one  son,  who  took  care  of  her  garden.  At  last 
her  son  became  sick,  and  so  the  poor  widow's 
garden  was  neglected. 

"  Now,  it  happened  that  a  gentleman  Hved  near, 
who  had  a  gardener.  He  was  walking  by  die 
widow's  house,  and  he  looked  over  the  fence,  and 
he  saw  that  the  weeds  were  getting  up  pretty 
hio-h.     So  he  told  the  widow  that  the  next  morn- 

o 

'ng  he  would  bring  his  gardener,  and  let  him  put 
it  in  order  for  her. 

"  The  widow  said  that  she  had  hired  a  man  to 
come  the  next  morning. 

"  "  Very  well,'  said  the  gentleman,  '  I  will  let 
my  gardener  come  and  help ;  and  th^n  you  will 
not  have  so  much  to  pay.' 


THE    RIDE    TO    TOWN.  63 

•'  Accordingly  he  came  the  next  morning,  and 
set  his  gardener  at  work,  telUns  him  what  to  do 
Then  he  went  away,  and  the  two  men  went  on 
working,  one  upon  one  side  of  the  garden,  and 
the  other  on  the  other. 

"  At  length,  after  they  had  been  working  about 
an  hour,  the  woman  came  out  and  began  to  scold 
them  because  they  did  not  work  faster.  When 
she  came  to  the  gentleman's  gardener,  he  stopped, 
and  listened  to  her  a  few  minutes,  leaning  on  his 
hoe,  and  then  he  said,  — 

" '  I  will  thank  you,  ma'am,  to  go  and  scold 
your  own  man.     I  am  responsible  to  my  master.'  " 

"  Is  that  all  the  story.  Miss  Anne  ?  "  said  Lucy, 
when  she  found  that  Miss  Anne  paused. 

*'  Yes,"  said  Miss  Anne,  "  that  is  all." 

"  I  don't  see  how  that  explains  the  difficulty, 
exactly,"  said  Royal. 

"  Why,  it  is  to  show  that,  though  the  gardener 
was  performing  a  duty  which  was  for  the  advan- 
tage of  the  woman,  yet  he  was  not  responsible  to 
her  for  the  performance  of  it.  He  was  under 
obligation,  but  not  under  obligation  to  her.  So  it 
often  happens  that  persons  are  under  obligation  to 
do  things,  and  yet  they  are  not  under  any  obliga- 
tions to  us.  And  in  such  cases,  we  have  no  right 
to  insist  upon  their  doing  them,  nor  to  commana 


64 


LUCY    AT    PLAY. 


them  to  do  them.  You  were  under  obligation  to 
help  the  man  out  of  his  difficulty  with  the  cart, 
but  you  were  not  under  obligation  to  him.^^ 

'  Who  is  it,  then,  that  1  am  under  obligation  to, 
m  such  a  case  ?  "  asked  Royal. 

"  Why,  to  conscience,  —  or  to  God.  But  you 
are  not  responsible  to  the  man  at  all.  Of  course, 
if  he  wishes  you  to  do  it,  he  ought  only  to  request 
it.  He  must  not  command.  But  his  boy  is 
under  obligation  to  him.  The  obligation  is,  per- 
haps, no  greater  in  itself,  but  it  runs  to  the  man 
himself,  and  the  man  has  a  right  to  exact  the 
fulfilment  of  it.  But  your  obligation  is  not  to  him 
at  all ;  and  he  has  no  right  to  insist  upon  your 
fulfilling  it,  or  to  call  you  to  account  for  it  at  all." 
.  Royal  listened  very  attentively  to  this  explana- 
tion, though  Lucy  did  not  understand  it  very 
well.  However,  Lucy  understood  better  what 
followed. 

"  Your  father  told  me,"  continued  Miss  Anne, 
"  that  this  was  a  distinction  in  moral  philosophy, 
very  important  for  children  to  understand." 

"  Is  that  moral  philosophy  ?  "  asked  Royal. 

"Yes,"  rejoined  Miss  Anne.  "He  said  it 
would  very  much  promote  peace  and  harmony 
among  children,  if  they  only  knew  the  difference 
b-tween   what  they  hs^e  a  right  to  insist  upon 


The  ride  to  town.  65 

from  each  other,  and  what  they  have  not.  They 
often  think  that,  because  a  playmate  ought  to  do 
a  thing,  therefore  they  have  a  right  to  insist  upon 
it.  For  Instance,  one  boy  wanted  another  to  go 
and  be  his  horse,  and  was  displeased  with  him 
because  he  would  noto-o,  and  found  a  o-reat  deal 
of  fault  with  him.  Another  boy,  named  Thomas^ 
had  two  apples,  and  his  brother  James  had  none. 
James  asked  Thomas  to  give  him  one,  but  Thomas 
would  not.  So  James  sat  down  muttering  sullen 
ly,  and  looking  very  Ill-humored,  and  every  now 
and  then  would  toase  Thomas  to  give  him  an 
apple.  Just  thr/i  his  father  came  along,  and 
asked  him  what  was  the  matter.  '  Why,  Thomas 
won't  give  me  an  apple,'  said  he,  '  when  he  has 
got  two,  and  1  haven't  got  any.'  '  Well,'  said  his 
father,  ^  you  ought  not  to  look  out  of  humor 
about  that,  and  to  try  to  compel  him  to  give  you 
the  apple,  by  teasing  and  fretting.'  '  Why,  father,' 
said  James,  '  I  am  sure  he  ouoht  to  do  as  he  would 
be  done  by  ;  and  I  know  he  would  want  me  to 
give  him  an  apple  if  1  had  two.'  '  Yes,'  replied 
his  father,  '  I  don't  deny  that  he  ought  to  give 
ycu  the  apple.  1  only  deny  that  you  have  any 
right  to  insist  upon  it.  He  is  not  responsible  to 
you,  at  all.  If  he  had  agreed  to  give  you  an 
apple,  on  account  of  something  which  you  had 


t)6  LUCY    AT    PL.A.t. 

done  for  him,  then  the  obligation  would  have  been 
to  you,  and  you  might  have  insisted  upon  it.  But 
in  this  case  it  is  only  his  general  obligation  to  be 
kind  and  friendly  ;  and  you  have  no  jurisdiction  over 
that.     He  is  not  responsible  to  you  for  that,  at  all.' 

"  So,  you  see,"  continued  Miss  Anne,  "  children 
often  insist  upon  things  which  they  have  no  right 
to  insist  upon,  —  though  perhaps  the  other  chil- 
dren ought  to  do  them." 

"  Yes,"  said  Royal.  "  Once  we  were  playing 
together,  and  there  were  four  boys,  and  it  takes 
four  to  play  ball,  —  and  we  all  wanted  to  play 
but  one,  and  he  wouldn't,  and  so  the  rest  of  us 
could  not  play." 

"  Yes,"  said  Miss  Anne.  "  Now,  I  suppose 
that,  in  such  a  case,  he  ought  to  have  been  will- 
mg  to  play  ;  but,  if  he  would  not,  you  would  have 
no  right  to  insist  upon  it.  Children  very  often  are 
unreasonable  in  urging  others  to  play  with  them, 
when  they  do  not  wish  to." 

"  Yes,"  said  Lucy,  "  that  is  the  way  that  Uoyal 
always  does  with  me." 

''  O  I  o,  I  don't,  Lucy,  I'm  sure." 

"  Yes,"  added  Lucy,  "  you  want  me  to  be  your 
horse,  very  often,  when  I  don't  want  to;  —  and, 
besides,  I  don't  think  it  is  proper  for  me  to  be  yoiu 
horse." 


tHE    RIDE    TO    TOMiN.  61 

"  Well,  nevermind  that  now,"  said  Miss  Anne 
"  We  won't  spoil  the  pleasure  of  cur  ride  ny  a 
disDute." 

"  Well,"  said  Lucy,  '•  and  I  mean  to  take  out 
mv  money-purse,  and  count  my  money,  and  st^e 
if  it  is  all  safe." 

Lucy  had  several  pieces  of  money  which  her 
father  had  given  her  to  buy  something  with,  in 
the  town.  She  was  going  to  buy  a  book,  and 
any  thing  besides,  which  JMiss  Anne  might  ap- 
prove. So  she  poured  the  money  out  upon  her 
lap,  and  began  to  count  it. 

"  What  would  you  buy  with  this  money.  Miss 
Anne  ? "  said  Lucy,  after  she  had  counted  it,  and 
found  it  all  safe. 

"  Why,  I  can  hardly  say,  till  I  see  what  they 
have  got  to  sell.  But  I  can  tell  you  what  I  think 
1  would  not  buy." 

"  Well,"  said  Lucy,  "  what  ?  " 

"  Why,  I  think  I  would  not  buy  any  very  per 
tshable  property." 

"What  do  you  mean  by  perishable  prop- 
erty?" 

"  Property  that  is  soon  consumed  or  destroyed,, 
Sugar-plums  are  very  perishable  property  indeed  • 
for  YOU  eat  them,  and  they  are  gone." 

"  But  a  doll  isn't  peiishable,  is  it  ?  "  said  Lucy 


68 


LUCY    AT    PLAY. 


*^  No^  not  so  perishable  as  sugar-plums  or 
candy.     But  you  have  got  a  doll." 

"  Yes,  but  I  want  a  new  one,  for  my  doll  is  old 
and  worn  out." 

"  So,  you  see,  dolls  are  perishable ;  that  is,  they 
will  wear  out." 

"  Then  every  thing  is  perishable,"  said  Royal, 
"  for  every  thing  will  wear  out  in  time." 

"  Yes,"  replied  Miss  Anne,  "  but  then  some 
things  will  last  so  long  that  we  do  not  consider 
them  perishable.  A  silver  bowl,  for  instance,  will 
last  for  several  generations ;    but   then  it  would 


wear  out  in  time." 


"  I  should  not  think  it  would  ever  wear  out,  if 
it  was  really  silver,"  said  Lucy. 

"  Yes,  if  it  was  used,  it  would  wear  out  in  time ; 
but  it  would  take  a  very  long  time.  At  any  rate, 
we  should  not  consider  it  perishable  properly.  A 
silver  thimble  would  not  be  perishable  property." 

"  Is  a  book  perishable  ?  "  asked  Lucy. 

"  Yes,  more  so  than  many  other  things ;  for  il 
gets  worn  out  and  defaced,  so  that  its  value  is 
destroyed  before  a  great  while.  A  box  is  not  so 
uerishable,  —  a  handsome,  well-made  box." 

"  1  believe  I'll  buy  a  box,"  said  Lucy. 

"  I'd  buy  something  not  very  perishable,  if  ] 


THE    RIDE    TO    TOW^.  69 

^ere  yoi,  at  any  rale,  and  then  you  can  keep  it 
and  enjoy  it  a  great  many  yeai"s." 

"  Well,"  replied  Lucy.  "  But  what  other  kind 
of  things  are  there  that  you  would  not  buy  ?  " 

"  I  would  not  buy  any  thing  that  you  are  grow- 
ing away  from.  I  would  rather  buy  something 
that  you  are  growing  up  to." 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean  by  that,"  said 
Lucy. 

"  Why,  once  there  was  a  boy  about  three  years 
old.  He  had  never  had  any  playthings  bought 
for  him,  because  his  father  had  no  money  to  spare. 
But  one  day  his  uncle  came  to  visit  him,  and  he 
gave  him  a  shilling  to  go  and  buy  himself  a  play- 
thing with.  So  he  went  to  the  toy-shop,  and  they 
showed  him  a  whistle  and  a  ball.  Now,  he  was 
not  quite  old  enough  to  play  with  a  ball,  though 
it  was  almost  time  for  him  to  be  too  old  to  be 
amused  much  with  a  whistle.  How^ever,  he  con- 
cluded to  take  the  whistle.  It  was  a  very  good 
whisde,  and  it  lasted  a  long  time ;  but  he  very 
soon  ceased  to  care  any  thing  about  it.  On  the 
other  hand,  he  very  soon  became  big  enough  to 
play  ball,  and  then  almost  every  time  that  he  saw 
his  whisde  for  two  years,  he  wished  that  it  was  a 
nail.     He  did  not  consider,  when  he  bought  it. 


70  LUCY    Al    hLXY. 

that  the  time  for  him  to  be  pleased  with  a  whistle 
was  almost  gone  by,  while  the  time  for  him  to  be 
pleased  with  a  ball  was  all  to  come.  He  bought 
somethmg  that  he  was  growing  away  from." 

"  What  kind  of  a  ball  was  it,  Miss  Anne  ? " 
asked  Royal. 

"  An  India  rubber  ball,"  replied  Miss  Anne, 
"  large,  and  round,  and  smooth." 

"  What  a  foolish  boy !  "  said  Royal. 

*'  Yes,  he  was  not  so  wise  as  a  girl  I  knew 
once,  named  Harriet." 

"  Why,  what  did  she  do?  "  asked  Lucy. 

"  When  she  was  twelve  years  old,  her  father 
gave  her  five  dollars  to  buy  whatever  she  pleased 
with,  for  a  birthday  present.  There  were  two 
things  which  she  thought  of,  which  she  could 
have  for  five  dollars.  One  was  a  beautiful  waxen 
doll,  with  eyes  that  would  open  and  shut,  and  a 
handsome  cradle  to  put  it  in.  The  other  was  a 
portable  desk,  to  hold  writing  materials,  —  such 
as  paper,  pens,  an  inkstand,  wafers,  sealing-wax, 
&c.  There  was  also  room  in  it  to  keep  her  notes 
and  papers,  and  any  valuable  treasures  which  sne 
micrht  have.  She  asked  her  mother  which  she 
thought  she  had  better  take ;  and  her  mother  naid 
that  she  thought  the  doll  would  give  her  the  most 
oleasure  for  a  few  days. 


THE    RIL»%      10    TOWN.  71 

"  '  And  after  that,  would  the  desk  give  me  most 
pleasure  ? '  asked  Harriet. 

"' '  Yes,'  said  her  mother,  — '  because  your  time 
for  playing  with  dolls  has  nearly  gone  by.  You 
will  feel  less  and  less  interest  in  them  now  every 
year,  —  and  the  interest  will  soon  be  gone  entirely. 
But  your  interest  in  writing  and  in  other  intellec- 
tual pleasures,  will  increase  every  year.  So  that 
I  would  recommend  to  you  to  buy  the  desk.  If 
you  were  three  yeai's  old  instead  of  twelve,  per- 
haps I  should  recommend  to  you  to  buy  the  doll  ; 
but  for  you  to  buy  it  now,  would  be  like  a  man's 
buying  a  trunk  at  the  end  of  his  journey.'  " 

"  Well,"  said  Lucy,  "  and  what  did  Harriet 
do?" 

"  O,  she  bought  the  desk,  and  she  liked  it  oct- 
,er  and  better  every  year.  She  used  to  write 
notes,  and  a  journal  upon  it ;  and  she  kept  the 
notes  which  the  other  girls  wrote  to  her,  and  her 
journal  books,  and  her  drawings,  and  her  pencils, 
and  all  her  treasures,  in  it.  Thus  she  bought 
something  that  she  was  growing  'ip  to." 

Lucy  determined  to  follow  Miss  Anne's  advice , 
but  she  had  not  time  to  hear  any  more,  for  verj 
?oon  after  this  they  reached  the  town. 


T« 


CHAPTER    V. 

THE   GIPSY   PARTY. 

One  Wednesday  evening,  in  summer,  Royal  and 
Lucy  were  sitting  on  the  front  door  steps,  eating 
bread  and  milk,  which  their  mother  had  given 
them  for  supper,  when  they  saw  a  boy  coming 
along  the  road,  with  a  little  letter  in  his  hand. 

"  There  comes  a  boy  with  a  letter,"  said  Royal. 
"  1  wonder  whether  he  is  going  to.  bring  it  here 
for  my  father." 

The  boy  walked  along,  and,  when  he  reached 
the  front  gate,  he  opened  it,  came  up,  and  handed 
the  note  to  Royal.  "There's  a  letter  for  you." 
Then  he  turned  round,  and  went  away  again. 

Royal  looked  at  the  outside  of  the  note,  and 
saw  that  his  own  name  and  Lucy's  were  written 
there.  He  accordingly  opened  it,  and  read  as 
follows :  — 

"  Mary  Jay  sends  her  compliments  to  Royal  and 
Lucy,  and  would  be  happy  to  have  their  company 


The  gypsy  partx.  73 

at  a  gypsy  party,  at  her  house,  to-morrow,  at  3 
o'clock. 

"  fVednesday  Morning.^ 

"  A  gypsy  party  1  I  wonder  what  a  gypsy 
party  is,"  said  Lucy. 

"  It  is  a  party  to  have  a  supper  out  of  doors," 
said  Royal.  "  We'll  go,  Lucy  ;  we'll  certainly  go 
I  should  like  to  see  a  gypsy  supper." 

"  Yes,"  said  Lucy,  "  if  mother  will  let  us.  I'll 
go  du'ectly  and  ask  her." 

Lucy  went  and  showed  her  note  to  her  mother. 
Her  mother  seemed  much  pleased  with  it,  and  she 
said  that  Lucy  might  go. 

"  And  Royal  too? "  asked  Lucy. 

"  Why,  —  yes,"  said  her  mother,  with  some 
hesitation.  "  1  suppose  that  I  must  let  Royal  go, 
since  he  is  invited ;  but  it  is  rather  dangerous  to 
admit  boys  to  such  parties." 

"Why,  mother  ?  "  said  Lucy. 

"  Because,"  replied  her  mother,  "  boys  are 
more  rough  in  their  plays  than  girls,  and  they 
are  very  apt  to  be  mde  and  noisy." 

Lucy  went  back  to  the  door,  and  told  Royal 
that  their  mother  said  that  they  might  go. 

*'  But  she  thinks,"  added  Lucy,  "  that  [jerJtiapa 
you  will  be  noisy." 
7 


74  LUCY    AT    PLAY. 


'^  O  no,"  said  Royal,  "  I  will  be  as  still  as  a 


mouse." 


Just  then.  Royal  and  Lucy  saw  a  little  giil^ 
dressed  very  neatly,  walking  along  towards  their 
house.  As  she  came  nearer,  liucy  saw  it  was 
Marielle,  her  old  playmate  at  the  school  where 
Lucy  first  became  acquainted  with  Mary  Jay. 
Marielle  advanced  towards  the  house,  looking  at 
Lucy  with  a  very  pleasant  smile.  Royal  went 
and  opened  the  gate  for  her. 

"  How  do  you  do,  Lucy  ?  "  said  Marielle. 

Lucy  did  not  answer,  but  looked  at  Marielle 
with  an  expression  of  satisfaction  and  pleasure 
upon  her  countenance. 

"  Are  you  going  to  Mary  Jay's  gypsy  party 
to-morrow  ?  "  she  asked. 

'^  Yes,  and  Royal  too,"  replied  Lucy.  "  Are 
you  going? " 

'"■'  Yes,  I  am  going,  and  Harriet,  and  Jane,  and 
Laura  Jones,  and  little  Charlotte,  and  one  or  two 
others.  My  brother  is  going,  too,  and  William 
Jones.  And  we  are  all  going  to  carry  something 
in  baskets  to  eat." 

"  Why,  what  is  that  for  ?  "  asked  Royal. 

"  Why,  you  see,"  she  replied,  "  Mary  Jay  is 
going  away  in  two  or  three  days,  and  is  not  com- 
ing back  for  a  year ;  and   so  she  invited  us  to 


THE    (JYPSY    PARTY.  75 

come  and  pay  her  a  farewell  visit,  —  all  of  us  that 
she  used  to  teach  in  the  school.  And  my  mother 
thought  that,  as  she  was  going  away  so  soon,  she 
must  be  v^ery  busy  ;  and  so  she  sent  me  to  go  and 
ask  her  not  to  make  any  preparation  herself,  but 
to  let  us  all  brino:  thin«is  in  our  baskets  ;  and  then 
she  could  put  them  on  the  table  and  arrange  them 
after  we  got  there." 

"  And  what  did  she  say  ?  "  asked  Lucy. 

"  Why,  she  laughed,  and  said  it  was  a  funny 
way  to  give  a  party,  to  have  the  guests  bring 
their  suppers  with  them.  But,  then,  pretty  soon 
she  said  that  we  might  do  so ;  and  she  told  me  to 
say  to  my  mother  that  she  was  very  much  obliged 
to  her  indeed." 

"Well,"   said    Royal,    "let's    go   in    and    tel 
mother  about  it." 

So  the  children  went  in  and  told  their  modier, 
and  she  said  that  she  thought  it  was  an  excellent 
plan,  and  that  she  would  give  them  a  pie  and 
some  cake,  and  a  good  bottle  of  milk,  for  their 
share. 

"  My  mother,"  said  Marielle,  "  wanted  me  to 
ask  you  not  to  send  a  great  deal." 

•  Well,  that  will  not  be  sending  a  great  deal  \ 
oe:;ideSj  wnut  would  be  the  harm  if  I  should  ? 


f6  LUCY    AT    PLAY. 

"  Why,  she  says  that  generally,  in  such  cases, 
tfiey  carry  too  much." 

"  Yes,"  said  Royal's  father,  who  was  then  sit- 
ting in  the  room  reading.  '•  When  people  form  a 
party  to  go  up  a  mountain,  they  each  generally 
take  provisions  enough  for  themselves  and  all  the 
rest  of  the  party  besides;  so  that  they  have  to 
lug  it  all  up  to  the  top  of  the  mountain,  and  then 
to  luo;  it  down  ao;3in." 

They  all  laughed  at  this ;  and  Royal's  father 
went  on  with  his  reading.  His  mother  then  said 
that  she  would  not  send  a  great  deal,  and  Marielle 
bade  Lucy  and  Royal  good  evening,  and  went 
home.  The  next  day,  at  three  o'clock,  there  were 
quite  a  number  of  children  walking  along  the  road 
towards  Mary  Jay's  house,  all  with  small  baskets 
in  their  hands. 

Royal,  Lucy,  and  Marielle,  went  together ;  and, 
as  they  reached  the  house,  they  found  a  boy  in 
the  yard,  who  told  them  that  Mary  Jay  was  at 
lier  seat  down  beyond  the  garden.  So  they  went 
through  the  garden,  and  thence  over  into  the  walk 
which  led  down  through  the  trees,  as  described  in 
Lucy  At  Study. 

As  they  drew  near  the  place  where  they  were 
to  come  in  sight  of  the  httle  pond  of  water,  they 


THE    GYPSY    PARTY.  79 

heard  the  sound  of  voices  ;  and,  after  a  lew  steps 
more,  they  caught  a  glimpse  of  something  while 
through  the  trees.  They  walked  on,  and  pres- 
ently they  came  in  sight  of  a  pretty  long  table, 
just  beyond  the  pond,  upon  a  flat  piece  of  grass 
ground,  up  a  little  from  the  pond,  and  under  the 
trees.  The  table  was  surrounded  with  girls  mov- 
ing about  in  all  directions.  Some  were  opening 
tlieir  baskets,  some  were  hanging  up  their  bonnets 
upon  the  branches  of  the  trees,  and  several  were 
standing  around  Mary  Jay,  who  was  seated  at 
the  head  of  the  table,  upon  a  chair,  with  her  feet 
upon  a  small  cricket,  and  a  crutch  lying  down  by 
her  side. 

"  O,  there  they  are,"  said  Lucy,  as  soon  as  she 
saw  them;  and  she  began  to  run.  Royal  fol- 
lowed, carrying  the  provisions. 

"  Ah,  Royal,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  1  am  glad  you 
have  come ;  for  I  want  you  to  help  William  make 
us  a  fireplace  to  roast  our  apples  and  com.  It 
would  not  be  a  gypsy  supper  without  some  cook- 
ing." 

"  A  fireplace  ?  "  said  Royal ;  "  I  don't  know 
how  to  make  a  fireplace." 

"  O,  it  is  only  a  gypsy  fireplace,"  replied  Mary 
Jav ;  "  and  that  is  very  easy  to  make.     All  yoii 


ir.  &1, 


LUCY    AT    PLAY. 

have  lo  do  is  to  cut  two  croiched  sticks,  and  diive 
them  down  into  the  ground,  about  as  far  apart  as 
you  can  reach  ;  and  then  cut  a  green  pole,  and 
lay  across  from  one  to  the  other.  Then  we  can 
build  our  fire  upon  one  side,  and  stand  up  our 
ears  of  corn  against  the  pole,  on  the  other  ;  ana 
so  they  will  roast.     Only  we  must  turn  them." 

"  Well,"  said  Royal ;  "  but  where  shall  I  get 
an  axe?" 

"  You  will  have  to  go  up  to  the  house  and  get 
the  axe.  You  will  find  one  in  the  shed,  just  be- 
yond the  water  post." 

So  Royal  and  William  went  off  after  the  axe, 
while  the  girls  were  all  busy,  some  about  the 
table,  taking  out  the  various  stores  and  arranging 
ihem ;  others  rambling  about  in  the  paths  around, 
looking  at  Mary  Jay's  stone  seat,  or  playing  with 
the  pebble-stones  on  the  margin  of  the  water. 

In  a  short  time.  Royal  returned;  and  he  and 
William  began  to  look  around,  among  the  small 
trees,  for  two  with  branches  which  would  form  a 
crotch. 

"  Here  is  one,  Royal,"  said  a  gentle  voice,  at  a 
little  distance  through  the  trees. 

Royal  turned,  and  saw  that  Marielle  had  found 
pne  for  him.     He  went  to  it,  to  look  at  it. 


THE    GYPSY    PARTY. 


Hi 


*'  Will  that  do  ?  "  said  she. 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  said  Royal ;  "  it  is  a  beautifu) 
crotch." 

In  fact,  it  did  look  very  beautiful  and  regular 
The  two  branches  diverged  equally  from  the  main 
stem  below,  so  as  to  give  the  fork  a  very  symmet- 
rical form.  Royal  cut  it  down.  Then  he  cut 
off  the  main  stem  about  a  foot  from  the  crotch, 
and  then  the  two  branches  a  few  inches  above. 
He  carried  it  to  Mary  Jay,  to  show  her  what  a 
beautiful  crotch  he  had  got,  for  one. 

"  And  now,"  said  he,  "  where  shall  we  make 
uMr  fireplace  ?  " 

"  O,  any  where  about  here,  where  there  is  a 
level  place ;  you  and  William  can  find  a  place 
Marielle  may  help  you." 

So  they  began  to  look  about  for  a  place.  They 
found  a  very  good  place  near  the  brook,  and  not 
very  far  from  the  table.  Royal  began  to  drive 
down  the  crotch.  But  here  he  soon  found  diffi- 
culty. The  two  branches  of  the  fork  diverged 
equally  from  the  main  stem,  and  of  course,  wnen 
the  point  was  set  into  the  ground,  neither  of  them 
was  directly  over  it ;  so  that,  when  Royal  struck 
upon  one  of  them,  the  tendency  of  the  blow  was 
to  beat  the  stake  over  upon  one  side,  and  if  he 


82 


LUCY    AT    PLAY. 


Struck  upon  the  other  branch,  it  beat  it  over  upon 
the  other  side.     In  a  word,  it  would  not  drive. 

"  Strike  right  in  the  middle  of  the  crotch,"  said 
William. 

Royal  did  so.  This  seemed  to  do  better  at 
first ;  but  the  axe  did  not  strike  fair,  as  the  head  of 
it,  in  this  case,  went  down  into  the  wedge-shaped 
cavity  between  the  branches,  instead  of  finding 
any  solid  resistance  to  fall  upon.  And  after  a 
few  blows,  the  branches  were  split  asunder  by  the 
force  of  the  axe  wedsing  itself  between  them : 
and  there  was,  of  course,  an  end  of  the  business. 

"  O  dear  me !  "  said  Royal,  with  a  long  sigh, 
as  he  stopped  from  his  work,  and  leaned  upon 
his  axe. 

As  he  looked  up,  he  saw  an  old  man,  on  the 
other  side  of  the  brook,  with  a  sickle  in  his  hand, 
who  had  been  down  in  a  field  at  his  work,  and 
who  was  now  returning.  He  had  seen  Royal 
driving  the  stake  as  he  was  passing  along. 

"  The  trouble  is,  boy,"  said  the  old  man,  "  that 
you  have  not  got  the  rig}  t  sort  of  crotch.  The 
arms  of  it  branch  otf  both  sides." 

"  I  thought  it  was  better  for  that,"  said  Royal. 

"  No,"  said  the  man  ;  "  it  looks  better,  perhaps, 
but  it  won't  drive.     Get  one  where  the  mam  stem 


THlL    GYPSY    PARTY.  83 

grows  up  straight,  and  the  crotch  Is  made  by  a 
branch  which  grows  out  all  on  one  side.  Then 
yru  can  drive  on  the  top  of  the  main  stem." 

"  O  yes,"  said  Royal,  "  I  see." 

"  Besides,"  said  the  old  man,  "  if  that  is  the 
place  that  you  have  chosen  for  your  fire,  I  don't 
think  that  it  is  a  very  good  one." 

"  Why  not  ?  "  said  Royal. 

*'  Why,  the  smoke,"  replied  the  old  man,  "  will 
drift  right  down  upon  the  tables.  It  is  generally 
best  to  make  smokes  to  leeward." 

So  saying,  the  old  man  turned  around,  and 
walked  slowly  away. 

"  What  does  he  mean  by  making  smokes  to 
leeward  ? "  asked  a  little  o-irl  who  was  standino; 
near.     It  was  Charlotte. 

"I  know,"  said  Royal ;  "let  us  see,  —  which 
way  is  the  wind  ?  "  And  he  began  to  look  around 
U|)on  the  trees,  to  see  which  way  the  wind  was 
blowing. 

"  Yes,  I  see,"  he  added.  "It  blows  from  hers 
directly  towards  the  table ;  we  should  have 
smoked  them  all  out.  We  must  go  around  to  the 
other  side  of  the  brook,  and  then  the  smoke  will 
be  blown  away.  But  first  we  must  go,  WiUiam. 
an('  get  some  more  crotched  stakes.  ' 

So  Royal  and  WiUiam  went  looking  about  aftei 


84 


LUCY    AT    PLAY. 


more  su.,vjs.  ,  They  tried  to  find  them  of  such  t 
charactei  as  the  old  man  had  described  ;  and  this 
was  easy ;  for  it  was  much  more  common  /or  a 
single  brar>.h  to  grow  off  upon  one  side,  leaving 
the  main  siem  to  go  up  straight,  than  for  such  a 
fork  to  be  produced  as  Marielle  had  found.  Ma- 
rielle  seemed  to  be  sorry  that  her  fork  had  proved 
so  unsuitable ;  but  Royal  told  her  that  it  was  no 
matter.  Ho  said  that  hers  was  a  great  deal 
handsomer  than  the  others,  at  any  rate,  although 
it  would  not  drive. 

They  found  suitable  crotches  very  easily,  and 
drove  them  into  the  ground.  Then  they  cut  a 
pole,  and  laid  it  across,  and  afterwards  built  a  fire 
upon  one  side  of  it ;  and  by  the  time  that  the 
other  preparations  were  ready  for  their  supper 
the}''  had  a  good  hot  fire,  and  were  ready  to  pui 
the  ears  of  corn  down  to  roast. 

The  children  had  a  very  fine  time  eating  their 
supper.  Some  stood  at  the  table ;  and  some  car- 
ried their  cakes  and  their  blueberries  away,  and  sat, 
two  or  three  together,  under  the  trees,  oi  on  the 
rocks.  Lucy  went  to  Mary  Jay's  seat,  and  took 
possession  of  that.  They  made  litde  conical  cup:^ 
of  large  maple  leaves,  which  they  formed  by  bring 
ing  the  two  wings  of  the  leaf  together  and  pinning 
the«»i :  and  then  the  stem  served  as  a  little  handle 


THE    GYPSY    PARTY.  S5 

below.     They  were  large  enough  to  hold  two  or 
three  spoonfuls  of  blueberries. 

They  had  milk  to  drink  too,  and  water,  which 
they  got  from  a  spring  not  far  from  Mary  Jay  s 
seat.  Lucy  went  there  to  get  some  water ;  and, 
as  she  was  comino;  back  to  her  seat,  brino-ino-  it 
carefully,  she  saw  Royal  doing  something  on  the 
shore  of  the  little  pond.  She  put  down  her  mug, 
and  went  to  see. 

He  was  making  a  vessel .  of  a  small  piece  of 
board.  He  had  a  large  leaf  fastened  up  for  a  sail. 
He  secured  the  leaf,  by  making  a  slender  mast, 
and  running  this  mast  through  the  leaf,  in  and  out, 
as  you  do  with  a  needle  in  sewing ;  and  then, 
leaving  the  leaf  upon  the  mast,  he  stuck  the  end 
of  the  mast  into  the  board.  Then  he  loaded  his 
vessel  with  a  cake,  and  some  blueberries,  and  said 
that  he  was  going  to  send  it  over  to  the  other  side, 
to  Charlotte,  who  was  waiting  there  to  receive  it 
The  children  all  gathered  around  to  see  it  sail. 
It  went  across  very  beautifully,  and  Charlotte  ate 
the  caro-o. 

Then  they  brought  the  ship  round  back  again, 
to  load  it  again  ;  and  at  this  time,  when  it  was 
nearly  loaded  with  other  things,  Marielle  brought 
the  saucer  of  an  acorn  whicli  she  had  oratnered 
from  a  neighboring  tree,  and  filled  it  with  milk, 


86  LUCY    AT    PLAT. 

and  then  set  it  carefully  upon  the  stem  of  the 
v^essel.  She  said  that  she  wanted  Charlotte  to 
have  something  to  drink.  But  just  before  they 
got  ready  to  sail  the  vessel,  they  heard  a  little  bell 
ring  at  the  table,  which  they  all  understood  at 
once  to  be  a  sumnnnns  from  Mary  Jay  to  them  to 
go  there,  and  attend  to  what  she  had  to  say  to 
them. 

So  those  who  were  at  the  water  left  it  at  once, 
and  the  others  came  in  from  the  places  where 
they  were  playing ;  and  all  gathered  around  the 
table. 

"  Now,  children,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  we'll  clear 
away  the  table,  and  then  you  will  have  an  hour 
and  a  half  to  play  bef  re  it  will  be  time  to  go 
home.  First,  put  all  the  fragments  carefully  into 
the  larite  basket  ur.d  n'  the  table." 

The  children  looked  under  the  table,  and  saw  a 
good-sized  basket  there ;  and  they  took  all  that 
was  left  upon  the  table,  and  put  it  carefully  in. 
Then  Mary  Jay  told  them  to  fold  up  the  cloth, 
and  put  that  in  ;  and  they  did  it.  Then  William 
and  Royal  took  the  board  which  formed  the  table, 
and  carried  it  up  towards  the  house,  and  stood  it 
up  by  the  stile  at  the  foot  of  the  garden  ;  the  other 
children  carried  the  basket  which  was  under  the 
table,  and  the  cloth,  and  all  the  other  baskets,  and 


THE    GYPSY    PARTY.  87 

put  them  down,  in  regular  order,  near  the  same 
place.  When  the  children  came  back,  they  found 
that  Mary  Jay  had  moved  to  her  stone  seat,  where 
she  sat  waiting  for  them. 

"  Now,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  the  things  are  all 
ready  to  be  carried  home,  and  the  ground  is  clea^ 
for  our  plays." 

"  What  shall  we  play  ?  "  said  several  voices. 

"  We'll  see  presently,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  when 
you  get  ready." 

So  the  children  all  collected  around  Mary  Jay, 
some  standing  and  some  sitting  in  various  places, 
upon  the  flat  stones. 

"  Now,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  how  many  are  there 
here  ?  One,  two,  three,"  —  and  so  she  went  on 
counting  until  she  ascertained  the  number.  There 
were  ten. 

"  There  are  ten ;  that  will  be  about  eight 
minutes  apiece.  Each  of  you  may  choose  a  play 
for  eight  minutes.  First  you  may  mention  any 
plays  that  you  would  like,  —  so  that  you  may  all 
have  a  good  number  in  mind  to  choose  from." 

One  of  the  girls  said,  "  Blind  man's  buff; " 
another,  "  A  march  ; "  another,  "  Hunt  the  stag ;  " 
ftrad  several  other  plays  were  named. 

'*  Now,''  said  Mary  Jay,  "  I  will  call  upon  ond 


88 


LUCY    AT    PLAY. 


dF  tl]e  oldest  children  to  choose  a  play.  Laura, 
what  should  you  like  for  your  eight  minutes  ?  " 

"  A  march,"  said  Laura. 

"  Yes,"  said  all  the  children,  "  let's  have  a 
march." 

"  Would  any  of  the  rest  of  you,"  said  Mary 
Jay,  "  like  to  have  your  eight  minutes  added  to 
Laura's  ?  and  that  will  make  sixteen  minutes  for 
a  march." 

"  Yes,  1,"  and  "  I,"  said  several  voices. 

"  But  then  you  must  remember,"  said  Mary 
Jay,  "  that  whoever  gives  up  her  eight  minutes  to 
a  march,  cannot  choose  any  other  play  for  it." 

"O,  well,  then  I  don't  want  to  give  mine," 
said  one  of  the  girls,  "  for  I  want  to  have  Blind- 
man's-bufF  for  mine." 

However,  there  was  one  of  the  girls  who  de- 
cided to  add  her  eight  minutes  to  Laura's  for  the 
march  ;  and  so,  at  Mary  Jay's  command,  they  all 
formed  a  line,  and  marched  about  under  the  tre^^s 
for  quarter  of  in  hour.  Mary  Jay  appointed 
Royal  to  be  the  captain  ;  and  so  they  all  followed 
him  around  and  under  the  trees,  singing  a  merry 
song  all  the  way.  They  had  branches  of  the 
trees  for  banners. 

When  the  march  was  over,  Mary  Jay  called 
for  more  plays,  and  they  played  three  more  times 


THE    GYPSY    PARTY.  89 

bout  eight  minutes  each,  as  near  as  MaiT  Jay 
3uld  estimate  the  time. 

"But,  Mary  Jay,"  said  Ro3'al,  "  3'ou  have 
assed  by  Marielle  ;  and  she  is  older  than  the 
thers  that  3'ou  have  called  upon." 

"Sol  have ,"  said  Mary  Jay.  ' '  Marielle,  I  did 
ot  mean  to  forget  you." 

"0,  it 's  no  matter,"  said  Marielle. 

"  Well,  what  play  should  3'ou  like?  You  shall 
ike  your  turn  now." 

"Cannot  we  choose  anj'thing  besides  pla3's?" 
sked  Marielle. 

"Wh}',  yes,"  replied  Mar}^  Jay,  "perhaps  so. 

I  '11  see.     What  should  vou  like  ?  " 

Marielle  looked  down,  and  appeared  half 
fraid  to  sa}'  what  she  wished  ;  but  presently  she 
aid, — 

"  Why,  if  you  would  be  kind  enough  to  read  us 

stor}'  out  of  3'our  Morocco  Book." 

"  O  yes,"  "  Yes,"  exclaimed  all  the  children, 
'  let  us  have  a  storv  out  of  the  Morocco  Book." 

"  Yery  well,"  said  Mar}^  Jay  ;  "  I  have  no  ob- 
3Ction.  I  can  find  a  short  one,  which  wdll  not 
ake  more  than  eight  minutes." 

But  the  children  did  not  want  a  short  one  ; 
nd  those  who  had  not  chosen  plays  agreed  to 
ppropriate  all  their  time  to  the  Morocco  Book. 
8* 


90 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  MOKOCCO  BOOK. 

Mart  Jay  according^  sent  up  two  of  the  chil- 
dren after  the  Morocco  Book.  She  told  them  that 
her  sister  would  give  it  to  them.  They  knocked 
at  the  door  of  the  house,  and,  when  Marv  Jrv's 
sister  came  to  the  door,  the}'  told  her  what  they 
wanted.  Then  her  sister  went  in,  and  presently' 
came  back,  and  brought  the  Morocco  Book,  which 
she  had  wrapped  up  carefully  in  a  newspaper ; 
for  she  knew  that  Mary  Jaj^  was  very  careful  of 
the  Morocco  Book. 

When  the  messengers  had  returned  to  where 
the  children  were  assembled,  Mary  Jay  took  off 
the  newspaper,  and  brought  the  handsome  Mo- 
rocco Book  to  view.  She  looked  at  the  index  a 
few  minutes,  and  then  turned  to  a  place  at  about 
the  middle  of  the  book,  and  read  the  following 
story. 


THE    LONELY    SLEIGH-RIDE.  91 


THE  LONELY   SLEIGH-RIDE. 

Once  there  was  a  farmer  who  lived  in  a  sohtary 
place  near  the  bank  of  a  river,  and  he  had  a  little 
daughter  named  Jane.  They  commonly  called 
her  Jenny. 

There  was  a  small  village  about  two  m'J.es  off, 
up  the  river,  though  upon  the  other  side.  At  the 
village  there  was  a  mill,  and  very  near  the  mill. 
on  the  other  side  of  it  was  a  house  where  the 
miller  lived.  One  evening  in  winter,  when  the 
moon  was  shinins;  bridit,  the  farmer  concluded  to 
go  to  mill  in  his  sleigh.  Jenny  wanted  to  go 
with  him  for  the  ride ;  and  he  said  that  she  might 
go.  It  was  a  very  pleasant  ride  along  the  banks 
of  the  river  from  the  farm  to  the  mill.  When  the 
river  was  frozen  over,  they  generally  went  upon 
the  ice.  The  road  upon  the  ice  was  very  pleas- 
ant to  travel,  though  it  was  rather  bad  getting 
off  and  on,  for  there  was  generally  a  wet  place 
along  the  shore. 

The  farmer  was  going  to  carry  a  bag  of  wheat  to 
the  mill,  to  be  ground.  The  meal  was  to  be  put 
into  the  same  has  aojain  ;  but  then  he  wanted  an- 
other  bag  to  put  the  bran  into.  Jenny  wanted  the 
bran  to  feed  her  chickens  with.     So  the  farmer 


Q2  LUCY    AT    PL^i. 

brought  out  a  sparo  bag,  and  laid  it  upon  the  step 
of  the  door,  while  he  went  to  bring  the  horse  and 
sleigh  out  of  the  bam. 

Jenny  followed  her  father  to  the  bam,  anf^  got 
into  the  sleigh  there.  Her  father  stepped  in,  too, 
after  her,  and  took  his  seat.  But  he  had  to  get 
out  again  to  adjust  some  part  of  the  harness,  which 
was  out  of  order.  While  adjusting  the  harness,  he 
got  engaged  in  talking  with  Jenny,  and,  when  he 
was  ready  to  set  out,  he  had  entirely  forgotten 
about  his  spare  bag ;  and  so  he  drove  by,  and  left 
it  upon  the  great,  flat  stone  which  foiTned  the  step 
of  the  door. 

It  was  a  bright  moonlight  evening,  and  the 
farmer  drove  on  over  the  beautiful  white  road 
very  fast.  Presently  he  came  to  the  place  where 
he  was  accustomed  to  turn  off  to  go  down  upon 
the  river. 

"  Are  you  going  on  the  river  ?  "  said  Jenny. 

"  Why,  yes,"  said  her  father  ;  "  wouldn't  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,"  said  Jenny,  "  perhaps ;  only  I'm  a 
little  afraid  to  go  through  the  water  at  the  edge." 

"  O,  that  will  do  no  harm,"  replied  her  fatlier ; 
**  the  water  is  not  deep."  So  her  father  drove 
down  through  the  water,  over  on  to  the  ice,  and 
then  turned  up  t^  e  river,  and  the  horse  trotted 
swiftlv  on 


THE    LONELY    SLEIGH-RIDE.  93 

As  they  rode  on,  Jenny  and  her  father  happened 
to  fall  into  conversation  on  the  way  to  act  when 
in  circumstances  of  sudden  dano-er. 

"  Always  take  time,  Jenny,  in  such  cases,"  said 
her  father,  "  to  consider  well  what  you  had  better 
do,  before  you  begin  to  do  it." 

"  But,  father,"  said  Jenny,  '•'  suppose  there  w 
not  any  time." 

"  Why,  then,"  replied  her  father,  "  of  course 
vou  cannot  do  any  thing." 

"  But  I  mean,  father,  suppose  there  is  only  a 
very  little  time  —  not  enough  to  think  in." 

"  VVhy,  if  there  is  ever  so  little  time,"  said  her 
father  in  reply,  ''  it  would  be  better  to  use  a  part 
of  it  in  considerinof.  If  the  house  is  on  fire,  the 
first  thing  is  to  consider  well  what  to  do." 

"  Why,  I  should  run  and  cry  fire,"  said  Jenny. 

"  But  that  might  not  be  best,"  said  her  father. 
"  You  might  be  in  such  a  place  that  nobody  would 
hear  you,  if  you  did  cry  fire.  Or,  if  you  should 
examine  the  fire,  you  might  find  that  you  could 
put  it  out  yourself,  very  easily,  with  a  pail  of 
water ;  and  in  that  case  it  would  not  be  wise  to 
alarm  the  people  out  of  doors." 

"  Then,"  said  Jenny,  "  the  first  thing  I  should 
■io  would  be  to  run  and  get  a  pail  of  water." 

•'  That  might  not  be  best,"  said  her  father ;  "  for 


94  LUCY    AT    FLAY. 

perhaps  the  fire  would  have  advanced  so  far  that 
you  could  not  hope  to  put  it  out :  and  so  it  might 
be  wisest  for  you  to  go  get  some  valuable  papers 
and  carry  out,  or  a  child  asleep  in  a  cradle. 

"  So  you  see,"  continued  her  father,  "  the  best 
thing  that  you  could  do  would  be  to  pause  and 
consider  what  to  do.  I  heard  a  doctor  say  once 
that,  if  he  had  but  five  minutes  to  save  a  man's  life 
in,  he  should  take  two  of  them  to  consider  what 
to  do." 

Jenny  wanted  to  drive  a  little.  The  horse  was  a 
very  spirited,  but  yet  a  very  kind  and  gentle  horse, 
so  that  her  father  often  used  to  let  Jenny  drive 
him.  But  it  was  rather  cold  this  evenino; ;  and 
her  father  told  her  that  he  thoup-ht  it  would  be 
better  for  her  to  sit  still  and  keep  her  fingers  warm. 

When  they  arrived  at  the  village,  they  drove 
up  near  to  a  post  which  stood  between  the  house 
and  the  mill.  The  miller  came  to  help  the  farmer 
take  out  the  bag  of  wheat.  And  he  said  to  the 
%rmer,  "  You  had  better  let  your  little  girl  go  into 
the  house  and  stay  there  while  we  are  grinding." 

"  O  no,"  replied  the  farmer ;  "  she  can  go  into 
'.he  mill  with  us,  just  as  well.  She  will  like  to 
walk  about  in  the  mill  a  little." 

So  the  farmer  folded  up  the  reins^  and  put  them 
through  a  ring  in  tne  harness,  in  such  a  way  that 


THE    LONELY    SLEIGH-RIDE.  95 

they  hung  safely  down  the  horse's  shoulder ;  and 
he  was  then  goin^;  to  fasten  the  horse.  He  hung 
up  the  reins  in  that  nanner  so  as  to  prevent  theii 
getting  down  under  the  horse's  feet.  Just  hefore 
he  fastened  the  horse,  however,  he  observed  that 
the  miller  was  ready  to  help  him  carry  in  the  bag 
of  wheat.  So  he  took  hold  of  one  end,  while  the 
miller  took  hold  of  another,  in  ordei  to  carry  it 
along  through  a  passage-way  on  that  side  which 
led  into  the  mill. 

"  I  think,"  said  the  miller,  "  that  your  little 
girl  had  better  go  into  the  house.  Yes,  here 
comes  John,  and  he  will  take  your  horse  round 
into  my  shed,  and  show  Jenny  in." 

John  was  a  boy  who  was  just  then  coming 
along  with  a  pail  of  water.  He  heard  what  his 
father  said,  and  he  answered. 

"  Yes,  father,"  said  he ;  "  as  soon  as  I  have 
carried  in  this  pail  of  water,  I  will  come  out  and 
do  it." 

"  O,  that  is  not  necessary,"  said  Jenny's  father ; 
"  there  is  a  shed  around  on  the  other  side  of  the 
mill.  I  will  come  and  put  the  horse  there,  and  let 
Jenny  go  in  with  us." 

So  the  boy  went  in  with  his  pail  of  water,  and 
the  miller  and  the  farmer  carried  the  bag  of  wheat 
along  the  passage-way.     When   they  had  gone 


96  LUCY    AT    fLAY. 

Jeuny  thought  she  would  step  into  the  slt.gh 
again,  so  as  to  be  all  ready  to  go  whichever  way 
it  was  decided  to  carry  her. 

N0W5  the  horse  perceived  that  somebody  got 
into  the  sleigh,  and  he  very  naturally  supposed 
that  he  was  to  set  out  again,  and  carry  them  where 
they  wanted  to  go ;  and  so  he  began  to  turn 
around  out  towards  the  road. 

"  Whoa  !  whoa  !  "  said  Jenny. 

But  the  reins  were  hung  up  upon  the  harness 
out  of  Jenny's  reach  ;  and  so,  as  the  horse  felt  no 
pressure  of  restraint  upon  the  bit,  he  paid  no  at- 
tention to  the  order,  but  moved  on  out  into  the 
street.  The  weather  being  cold,  all  the  doors 
were  shut  in  the  mill  and  in  the  house,  and  nobody 
heard  the  sound  of  the  bells,  nor  Jenny's  calls  to 
the  horse ;  and,  in  a  word,  before  Jenny  had  time 
to  consider  her  situation,  the  horse  was  out  in  the 
street  trotting  off  at  a  good  round  pace  down  to- 
wards a  bridge  which  passed  over  a  small  stream 
just  below  the  mill,  and  which  was  on  the  way 
towards  home. 

In  the  mean  time,  Jenny's  father,  after  helping 
tfie  miller  about  getting  the  grain  into  the  mill,  and 
pouring  it  into  the  hopper,  came  back  for  Jenny 
When  he  saw  that  the  sleigh  wis  gone,  he  said,  — 

"  Ah,  John  has  taken  hei    into  the  house,  1 


THE    LONELY    SLEIGH-RIDE.  97 

see.     VVeli,  he  was  pretty  quick  about  it."     So 
he  went  back  into  the  mill. 

In  the  same  way,  John,  when  he  had  carried 
in  his  pail  of  water,  came  back  to  look  for  Jenny 
and  the  sleigh.  When  he  saw  that  they  were 
gone,  he  said,  — 

"  Ah,  they  hav^e  taken  her  into  the  mill,  I 
see.  Well,  they  were  pretty  quick  about  it." 
So  he  went  back  into  the  house. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  horse  trotted  on.  Jenny's 
first  thought  was  to  jump  out  at  once.  But  the 
horse  was  comino;  fast  down  the  hill  to  the  bridtre, 
and  that  made  her  afraid  to  jump  out  there ;  for 
she  thought  that,  if  she  should  fall  down  upon  the 
hard  planks,  it  would  hurt  her  more  than  to  fall 
upon  the  snow.  So  she  concluded  to  wait  until 
she  should  have  o-ot  over  the  bridge. 

But  now,  as  she  was  passing  the  bridge,  she 
recollected  what  her  father  had  told  her  about 
always  stopping  to  consider  what  it  was  best  to 
do  when  she  was  placed  in  any  dangerous  situa- 
ticffi ;  and  so  she  concluded  not  to  jump  out  at 
oncSj  but  to  reflect  a  little  whether  it  would  b' 
best  lo  jump  out  or  not. 

"  If  I  jump  out,"  she  said  to  herself,  "  I  sliaJ 
grt  thrown  down,  perhaps,  and  hurt  my  bean 
And  then,  besides,  the  horse  and  sleigh  will   gu 


98  LUCY    AT    PLAT. 

home  alone,  and  my  mother  will  think  that  my 
father  and  I  are  thrown  out  and  killed,  and  so  she 
will  he  very  much  frightened.  No,  I  had  better 
not  jump  out." 

Then  she  though :  of  another  plan.  "  I  might 
climb  along  one  of  the  shafts  towards  the  horse's 
head,  and  try  to  get  hold  of  the  reins,  and  then  1 
could  stop  him.  —  But  no,"  she  added,  "that 
will  not  do.  It  miffht  friduen  him,  and  make  him 
run  away  faster." 

Here  she  paused,  and  thought  a  litde  more 
about  it. 

"  But,  then,"  she  said  to  herself  again,  presently, 
"  if  I  keep  in  the  sleigh,  and  the  horse  runs  against 
any  thing,  or  runs  quick  round  a  corner,  and 
turns  the  sleigh  over,  then  I  shall  be  thrown  out^ 
and  shall  be  killed. 

"  Ah,"  she  continued,  after  thinking  a  little 
more,  "  I  know  what  I  will  do.  I  will  get  out 
carefully  upon  the  runner,  and  step  along  till  I 
get  on  to  the  end  of  the  runner,  behind  the 
sleigh;  and  then,  as  long  as  the  hc-se  goes  on 
right,  I  will  cling  on,  and  he  shall  carry  me  home  ; 
but  when  I  see  any  difficulty  coming,  then  I  will 
jump  off." 

So  Jenny  stepped  out  very  carefully,  holding 
r^n  by  the  back  of  the  sleigh,  and  took  her  placa 


THE    LONELY     SLEIGH-RIDE.  9U 

upon  the  end  of  the  runner,  on  one  side  She 
went  on  so,  very  well,  for  a  short  distance,  foi 
the  horse  did  not  go  very  fast.  If  she  had  been 
much  frightened,  and  had  screamed  or  called  out 
very  loud,  it  would  have  frightened  the  horse  very 
TAich,  and  he  would  have  soon  got  into  a  run. 
But,  as  all  was  quiet,  the  horse  supposed  that  all 
was  right,  and  so  he  trotted  along  towards  home, 
just  as  usual. 

But  then,  in  a  very  few  minutes  after  this,  he 
turned  into  the  road  which  led  down  the  bank  to 
the  river. 

"  O  dear  me  !  "  said  Jenny.  "  He  will  draw 
my  feet  all  over  in  the  water.  I'll  ju^ip  off. — 
No,  I'll  jump  in." 

She  had  but  a  moment  to  decide  which  to  do , 
but  she  happened  to  decide  right.  She  jumped 
in,  just  as  the  horse  was  stepping  cart  fully  into  the 
water  at  the  margin  of  the  river.  She  sat  down 
upon  the  seat,  and  held  on  by  one  side  of  the 
sleigh.  The  runners  plunged  into  the  water,  and 
then,  with  a  jolt,  struck  the  edge  of  the  ice,  and 
rose  ip  upon  it.  The  horse  then  began  to  trot 
again . 

^'  There,"  said  Jenny,  "  I  am  safe  on  the  ice. 
Now  I  can  get  out  again  upon  the  nmner." 

However,  by  this  time  Jenny  had  become  quit* 


J  00 


LUCY    AT    PLASr. 


quiet  and  composed  in  htr  new  situation.  She. 
found  that  the  horse  was  goin«:  alons:  very  reo-u- 

O  O  O  JO 

!arly,  and  she  reflected  that,  as  she  had  got  out 
of  the  village,  she  had  passed  all  the  places  where 
there  were  bad  corners  to  turn,  and  also  that  it 
was  not  now  very  probable  that  she  should  meet 
any  body  coming.  So  she  concluded  to  remain 
in  the  sleigh,  especially  as  she  would  have  to  go 
through  the  water  again,  when  the  horse  went 
up  off  the  ice. 

So  she  staid  in  the  sleigh.  She  stood  up  ih 
the  front  of  it,  upon  one  corner,  and  took  hold  of 
the  dasher,  in  order  that  she  might  stand  firmly. 
In  this  way  she  rode  along.  The  horse  trotted 
very  fast,  but  the  road  was  level  and  smooth,  and 
its  direction  changed  only  by  great  curves,  which 
followed  the  bends  in  the  stream.  At  length,  the 
horse  came  to  the  place  for  going  up  upon  the 
land.  He  stopped  trotting  when  he  came  to  the 
water,  looked  down  into  it,  stepped  carefully  in, 
and  then  very  soon  took  the  sleigh  and  Jenny  out 
safe  to  the  solid  ground.  He  walked  up  the  bank, 
turned  into  the  road,  trotted  on  a  short  distauce, 
and  then  wheeled  round  up  into  the  farmer's  yard. 
ffe  walked  along  to  the  barn  door,  and  there 
itopped  for  Jenny  to  get  out  and  unharness  him. 

'■  Well,"  said  Jenny  to  herself,  as  she  stepped 


THE    LONELY    SLEJGH-Rll)E.  10 1 

out  of  the  sl-eigh.  "  This  is  pretty  well."  She 
looked  around  towards  the  house,  and  saw  no 
iignt.  So  she  knew  that  her  mother  had  gone  to 
oed  in  her  bed-room,  on  the  back  side.  The  bag 
for  the  bran  was  lying  in  the  moonlight  on  the 
step  of  the  door,  where  her  father  had  left  it. 
S'ne  turned  around  again  to  the  horse,  and  took 
hold  of  the  reins,  which  were  hanging  like  a 
bundle  of  ribbons  from  the  horse's  shoulder. 

"  This  was  all  the  difficulty,"  she  said.  "  If  I 
had  only  had  these  reins,  I  could  have  stopped 
him.  I've  a  great  mind  now  to  get  in  again,  and 
drive  him  back.  I'll  see  if  I  can  turn  him  round, 
at  any  rate." 

So  Jenny  got  into  the  sleigh,  with  the  reins  in 
her  hands,  and  she  found  that  she  could  turn  him 
around  without  any  difficulty.  She  had  never 
driven  alone  before,  but  she  had  often  driven  when 
her  father  was  seated  in  the  sleigh  with  her,  so 
that  she  knew  very  well  how  to  guide  the  horse 
to  the  right  or  left  by  pulling  one  rein,  and  how 
to  make  him  stop  by  pulling  both ;  so  that  she 
had  no  difficulty  in  turning  him  round,  and  then 
stopping  him  before  he  went  out  into  the  road. 
Here  she  paused  to  consider. 

"  If  I  don't  go  back,"  said  she  to  herself,  "  my 
father  will  come  out  to  find  me,  and  be  afraid  I 


102  LUCY    AT    PLAT. 

am  killed.  Perhaps  he  is  walking  along  home 
after  me  now.  If  I  go  in  the  house  here,  there  is 
nobody  to  diive  the  horse  back,  and  it  is  too  far 
for  my  father  to  walk.  Yes,  1  will  drive  him 
back  ;  and  then,  besides,  there  is  the  bag  upon  the 
step.  T  can  carry  my  father  his  bag,  and  so  get 
the  bran  for  my  chickens." 

The  sleigh  was  standing  very  near  the  step,  at 
this  time,  but  Jenny  drove  a  little  nearer,  so  thai 
she  could  step  out  and  get  the  bag.  She  kepi 
hold  of  the  reins  all  the  time,  with  one  hand. 

She  put  the  bag  into  the  bottom  of  the  sleigh, 
and  then  got  in  again  herself  She  then  carefully 
drove  the  horse  down  out  of  the  yard  into  the 
road,  and  turned  him  in  the  direction  towards  the 
village.  When  she  came  to  the  place  for  going 
down  the  bank  to  the  river,  her  courage  failed  a 
little.  She  was  afraid  to  drive  into  the  water. 
However,  she  kept  the  reins  still,  and  held  on  as 
firmly  as  she  could,  and  the  horse  carried  her 
safely  through. 

"  Now,  pony,  you  must  go  faster,"  she  said, 
when  the  horse  was  fairly  upon  the  river.  So 
she  took  the  whip,  which  was  lying  in  the  bottom 
of  the  sleigh,  and  touched  him  very  lightly  with 
it.  The  horse  ti'otted  on  at  great  speed.  The 
mad  passed  sometimes  opt  In  the  middle  of  the 


THE    LONELY    SLEIGH-RIDE.  103 

Stream,  and  sometimes  it  curved  along  by  lh-» 
shore,  under  a  high  bank  overhung  with  trees. 
Sometimes  she  was  in  the  moonlight,  and  some- 
times in  shadow ;  but  the  road  was  smooth  and 
tine,  and  she  glided  over  it  like  a  bird. 

Presently  she  saw  something  dark  at  a  distance 
before  her.  In  a  few  minutes,  she  perceived  that 
it  was  moving.  It  was  a  horse  and  sleigh  cominc; 
on  towards  her. 

"  What  shall  I  do  now  ?  "  said  Jenny. 

The  first  thought  was  to  stop  the  horse,  and 
tell  the  man  who  was  in  the  sleigh  her  story,  and 
get  him  to  go  back  with  her.  But  then  she  re- 
flected that  she  was  getting  along  very  well  with- 
out any  help,  and  that  probably  the  people  in  the 
sleigh  had  a  home  of  their  own  that  they  wanted 
to  net  to,  as  well  as  she. 

"  On  the  whole,  if  I  can  only  get  by  them," 
she  said  to  herself,  "  I  will  go  directly  on." 

So  she  turned  out  well  from  the  path,  when 
she  found  that  she  was  near  them,  and  got  by 
without  any  trouble.  There  were  a  man  and  a 
woaian  in  the  sleigh,  and  they  looked  up  aston- 
ished at  seeing  so  small  a  girl  driving  a  sleigh  at 
thai  time  of  night,  and  on  such  a  solitary  road. 
But  then  the  two  sleighs  passed  each  othei   so 


104  LUCY  AT  PLAY. 

quick,  that  the  travellers  had  no  time  to  say  anji 
thing  to  Jenny,  and  so  she  drove  on. 

And  it  was  rather  a  sombre  scene,  as  is  here 
represented  in  the  picture. 

"  O,  is  there  a  picture,  Mary  Jay  ?  "  "  Let  us 
sec  the  picture,"  said  all  the  girls.  They  came 
around  Mary  Jay,  and  looked  at  the  picture  which 
wab  painted  in  the  Morocco  Book,  at  the  place 
where  Mary  Jay  was  reading.  They  stood,  some 
on  each  side  and  some  behind,  looking  over  her 
shoulder.  They  looked  at  it  a  few  minutes  in 
silence. 

There  was  a  lonely-looking  place  upon  a  river, 
the  surface  of  the  stream  being  white  with  snow. 
There  were  dark  woods  in  the  background,  hang- 
ing gloomily  over  the  shore ;  and  upon  the  fore- 
ground, too,  upon  one  side,  there  were  some  large 
rocks  and  fir-trees,  which  were  upon  the  bank 
nearest  the  spectator.  Jenny's  sleigh  was  going 
along,  the  moon  shining  upon  it  brighdy ;  and 
behind  it  there  was  the  other  sleigh,  which  was 
seen  more  dimly,  as  it  was  partly  shaded  by  trees. 
Still  you  could  see  the  man's  head  turned  hack 
looking  towards  Jenny's  sleigh. 

"  How  cold  it  looks  !  "  said  Marielle 


THE    LONELY    SLEIGH-RIDE.  105 

The  rest  of  the  children  said  nothing  ;  but,  after 
they  had  looked  at  it  for  some  minutes,  silently, 
they  went  back  to  their  places,  and  Mary  Jay 
went  on. 

Jenny  met  with  no  other  adventure  on  the  ice. 
In  a  short  time,  she  came  to  the  place  where  she 
was  to  go  off  the  ice,  and  the  horse  took  her  very 
safely  through  the  water,  and  up  upon  the  shore. 

She  then  guided  him  along  towards  the  village, 
and  across  the  bridge,  and  thence  up  to  the  mill. 
Just  as  she  got  there,  she  saw  her  father  and  the 
miller  going  along  around  the  house  to  find  her. 
His  wheat  was  ground,  and  he  was  now  ready  to 
go  home.  He  supposed  that  Jenny  was  in  the 
house,  and  his  sleigh  in  the  yard.  He  heard  a 
sleigh  coming  along  behind  him ;  but,  not  ima- 
gining it  could  be  his,  he  did  not  pay  particular 
attention  to  it,  but  walked  on. 

As  soon,  however,  as  he  turned  around  the 
corner  of  the  house,  and  saw  that  his  sleigh  was 
not  there,  under  the  shed  where  he  had  expected 
to  find  it,  he  stopped,  and  exclaimed,  — 

"  What !  —  where's  my  sleigh  ? " 

"  Here  it  is,  father/'  said  Jenny,  "  and  here  is 
your  bag,  too,  for  the  bran." 

Her  fatlier  and  the  miller  turned  around,  to- 


106  LUCY    AT     PLAY. 

gether,  but  they  could  hardly  believe  their  eyes , 
and  when  Jenny  came  to  tell  her  story,  it  was 
still  more  difficult  to  believe  their  ears.  When,  at 
length,  however,  they  understood  the  story,  her 
father  said,  — 

"•  Well,  Jenny,  that's  pretty  well  —  pretty  well. 
If  you  had  not  got  the  bag  with  you  for  proof,  1 
should  think  that  you  had  got  asleep  in  the  sleigh, 
and  been  dreamino." 


Here  Mary  Jay  paused,  and  shut  the  book. 

"  Is  that  the  end  ?  "  asked  the  children. 

"  Yes,  that  is  the  end,"  replied  Mary  Jay. 

"  Well,  I  think,"  said  Laura,  "  that  Jenny  was 
a  pretty  courageous  girl." 

"  And  1  think,"  said  Royal,  "  that  she  was  a 
pretty  wise  girl." 

"  But  I  don't  think  she  did  quite  right,"  said 
Marielle,  "  to  drive  back  again  without  her  moth- 
er's leave" 

"  I  am  not  sure  of  that  myself,"  said  Mary  Jay. 
*'  But  now,  girls,  it  is  time  for  you  to  go  home. 
Come,  all  of  you,  and  shake  hands  with  me,  and 
bid  me  good-by,  and  leave  me  here.  I  am 
going  away,  to  be  gone  a  long  time,  and  I  don't 
know  when  I  shall  see  you  again.  But  there  is 
one  thing  that  I  want  you  to  do  for  me.     Be 


THE    MOROCCO    BOOK.  107 

v^ry  gontle  and  obedient,  at  home,  now,  for  three 
days;  and  they  will  think  it  is  owing  to  youi 
having  paid  a  visit  to  Mary  Jay." 

"  Yes,  we  will,  Mary  Jay,"  said  the  girls ;  "  we 
certainly  will." 

So  Mary  Jay  held  out  her  hand  to  the  girls. 
For  a  minute  or  two,  she  looked  upon  them  with  a 
smile,  as  one  after  another  came  forward  to  shake 
It ;  but  then  she  turned  her  head  away,  and,  leaning- 
upon  a  round  stone  at  one  side  of  her  seat,  she 
hid  her  face  in  her  handkerchief,  which  she  helO 
in  her  left  hand.  Marielie  hngered  till  the  last, 
and  then  she  kneeled  down  upon  the  step  of  the 
seat  beside  her,  kissed  her  cheek,  and  said,  in  a 
very  gentle  tone, — 

"  Good  by,  dear  Mary  Jay." 

She  then  paused,  and  looked  at  her  with  a  sad 
expression  of  countenance.  Her  dark  hair,  lying 
in  curls  upon  her  neck,  was  very  beautiful.  But 
Marielie  was  not  admiring  her  beauty ;  she  was 
pitying  her  sorrow. 


^^ 


108 


\ 


CHAPTER    VII. 

MARY   JAY'S   SUNDAY   SCHOOL 

Mary  Jay  lived  at  some  distance  from  any 
church,  and  so  it  was  very  seldom  that  she  was 
able  to  go  to  church  ;  for  she  could  not  walk 
very  far.  But  it  happened  that,  at  a  short  dis- 
tance from  the  house  where  she  lived,  there  was 
a  small  red  school-house,  at  the  edge  of  a  grove  of 
pine-trees,  on  the  bank  of  a  river ;  and  Mary  Jay 
used  to  go  there  every  Sabbath  day,  to  keep  a 
Sabbath  school  for  the  little  children  that  lived 
near. 

The  next  Sabbath  after  the  gypsy  supper,  Ma- 
ry Jay  was  going  to  close  her  school.  Marielle 
wanted  to  go  very  much  ;  and  she  proposed  to 
Lucy  that  they  should  both  ask  their  mothers  to 
allow  them  to  go,  instead  of  going  to  church. 
Lucy  said  that  she  was  willing. 

So  they  both  asked  their  mothers,  and  they  said 
yes.  Royal  wanted  to  go  too,  but  his  father 
thought  that  it  was  not  best.  So  Marielle  and 
l^c}   set  off  alone.     They  were  going  to  call  it 


MARY    JAY'S    SUNDAY    SCHOOL.  109 

Mary  Jay's  house,  a  little  before  the  time,  and  so 
walk  along  to  the  school-house  with  her. 

They  found  Mary  Jay  all  ready  for  them,  sit- 
ting in  a  chair,  upon  the  door  step.  She  had  her 
bonnet  on,  and  she  was  reading.  One  crutch 
was  leaning  against  the  post  of  tie  door.  When 
she  saw  the  two  little  gii'ls  coniaig,  she  shut  her 
book,  rose,  and  took  her  crutch  ynder  her  arm. 

"  But,  Mary  Jay,"  said  Lucy,  "  whei'e  is  your 
other  crutch  ?  " 

"■'  I  am  not  going  to  lake  but  one,"  said  Maiy 
Jay. 

"  Bu-t  you  always  used  to  have  two." 

"  I  know  it,  but  I  am  better  and  stronger  now, 
and  can  get  along  very  well  with  only  one  ;  un- 
less 1  have  to  go  a  great  way." 

"  I  am  very  glad  of  that,"  said  Marielle. 
"  And  perhaps,  by-and-by,  you  will  get  so  well 
that  you  can  go  without  any." 

"  No,"  said  Mary  Jay,  •'  I  never  expect  to  be 
well  enough  to  walk  without  one  crutch." 

"  But  perhaps  you  will,  Mary  Jay,"  said  Lucy 
- — ''  'perhaps." 

Mary  Jay  stepped  down  from  the  step,  and 
look  hold  of  Lucy's  hand  with  that  one  of  her 
CYwn  hands  that  was  free.  Marielle  went  upon  the 
10 


110  LUCY     AT    PLAY. 

Other  side,  and  carried  her  books  ;  and  thus  che^' 
walked  along  together  towards  the  school. 

There  was  a  short  path  through  the  fielJ 
which  they  took,  which  was  more  shady  than  *he 
open  road.  They  had  to  get  over  some  fences  , 
but  then  there  were  stiles  or  gaps  in  the  walls,  at 
the  crossin*g-places,  so  that  they  got  along  with- 
out much  difficulty.  At  one  place  there  was  a 
gate.  Marielle  held  it  open  while  Mary  Jay  and 
Lucy  went  through.  At  length,  they  reached  the 
school-house. 

It  stood  in  a  very  pleasant  place  between  the 
road  and  the  river ;  on  one  side  was  a  ^vove  of 
trees,  aijd  on  the  other,  before  the  door,  was  a 
little  play-ground,  green  and  level.  From  the 
play-ground  there  was  a  path  which  led  down  to 
the  shore  of  the  river,  where  thei'e  was  a  smooth 
beach.  The  children,  in  the  recesses  of  the 
school  on  week-days,  used  to  love  to  go  down  to 
this  beach,  and  amuse  themselves  by  throwing 
pebbles  into  the  water. 

Several  little  children  were  standing  at  the  door 
and  around  upon  the  green,  when  Mary  Jay  and 
the  other  girls  came  up.  When  they  saw  hei 
coming,  they  went  in,  and  Mary  Jay  followed 
them.     There  was  a  fireplace,  but  it  was  filled 


MA.RY    J  AY^'S    SUNDAY    SCHOOL.  113 

witli  evergreens,  because  it  was  summer.  Di- 
lectly  before  the  fireplace  was  Mary  Jay's'*table. 
Then  before  the  table  there  was  a  level  area  ex* 
lending  into  the  middle  of  the  room,  and  benches 
and  desks  around  the  four  sides. 

The  children  took  their  seats  upon  benches 
which  were  arranged  around  this  area,  next  to 
the  desks.  So  they  formed  a  sort  of  a  hollow 
square.  Mary  Jay  asked  two  of  them  to  move 
her  table  forward  a  little  way ;  and  then  she  took 
her  seat  at  it;  so  that  now  she  could  see  all  the 
children,  and  all  the  children  could  see  her.  She 
gave  Marielle  and  Lucy  seats  near  her,  on  one 
side. 

First  Mary  Jay  read  a  hymn,  and  she  and  all 
the  children  sang  it.  Then  she  opened  the  book 
which  she  had  brought  with  her,  and  read  a  prayer. 
The  children  listened  to  it  with  great  reverence 
and  attention. 

After  the  prayer  was  ended,  there  was  d  mo- 
ment's pause,  and  then  Mary  Jay  rapped  gently 
upon  the  table.  Immediately  the  room  seemed 
to  be  in  confusion.  The  children  all  arose,  and 
began  to  move  about,  passing  and  repassing  among 
each  other,  and  going  behind  the  desks,  in  appa- 
rent confusion  ;  but  very  soon  they  seemed  to  be 
coming  into  order  again,  and  Marielle  and  Luc^ 
10* 


Il4  LUCY     AT    PLAS. 

saw  that  they  had  arranged  themselves  in  little 
classes,  at  the  desks. 

"  What  are  they  going  to  do  now  ?  '^  said  Lucy 
in  a  low  tone,  to  Mary  Jay. 

"  They  are  going  to  say  their  lessons,"  replied 
Mary  Jay. 

"  Who  are  they  going  to  say  them  to  ^  "  asked 
Lucy  again. 

"  To  the  teachers,"  replied  Mary  Jay. 

"  But  1  don't  see  any  teachers,"  rejoined  Lucy. 

Mary  Jay  smiled,  and  said,  "  The  teachers  are 
not  very  big."  By  this  time  the  room  was  all  in 
a  buzz.  The  children  were  all  saying  their  les- 
sons. The  lessons  were  very  short  —  only  two 
short  verses ;  but  then  all  the  teachers  had  to 
hear  each  member  of  her  class  repeat  them,  and 
so  it  took  some  time. 

"  1  suppose  they  learned  their  lessons  at  home," 
said  Marielie. 

"  No,"  replied  Mary  Jay  ;  "  they  learned  thehi 
here  last  Sunday.  I  teach  thein  the  verses  one 
day,  and  then  they  recite  them  to  my  litde  assist- 
ant teachers  the  next." 

"  Yes,  but,  Mary  Jay,"  said  Marielie,  "  why 
don't  you  let  them  learn  their  lessons  at  home  ?  " 

"  Because,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  it  would  be  a 
great  deal  of  trouble  to  their  mothers  to  attend  to 


MARY    JAY'S    SUNDAY    SCHOOL.  115 

it ;  for  their  mothers  are  all  very  busy  wl^'  iheir 
A^ork.  And  if  nobody  attended  to  them,  they 
would  not  have  them  well  learned,  and  my  assist- 
ant teachers  would  have  to  hear  bad  lessons  re- 
cited ;  and  that  is  very  painful  anu  'mpleasant 
10  teachers,  and  very  injurious  to  scholars.  So  1 
leach  them  their  lessons  myself,  and  so  they  are 
almost  all  well  learned." 

Marielle  and  Lucy  now  looked  around  the 
room,  and  they  observed  that  it  was  getting  very 
still  again.  A  large  part  of  the  classes  had 
finished  saying  their  lessons.  Mary  Jay  waited 
a  few  minutes  longer,  until  all  had  finished,  and 
then  she  rapped  again  upon  her  table.  Then  the 
children  all  returned  again  to  their  places,  upon 
the  seats  around  the  area.  Marielle  observed  that 
they  were  arranged  regularly,  the  younger  children 
at  the  two  sides,  nearest  to  Mary  Jay,  and  the 
older  ones  back  upon  the  seat  that  passed  across 
at  the  farther  end  of  the  area. 

When  they  were  all  seated,  they  looked  atten- 
tively towards  Mary  Jay,  in  silence,  as  if  tliey 
expected  something ;  and  then  suddenly,  all  to- 
gether at  the  same  instant,  they  rose.  At  the 
next  JT'.stant,  they  all  fac(^d  half  round,  diose  on 
each  de  turning  towards  the  ends  of  the  seats 
where  the    little    girls   sat,  which    were   towards 


il6  LUCY    AT    PLAY. 

Mary  Jay.  The  larger  girls,  on  the  seat  at  the 
Dack  side  of  the  area,  faced  in  opposite  directions  ; 
one  half  turning  out  towards  one  side  of  the  roon^, 
and  the  other  towards,  the  other.  Of  course  the 
two  crirls  which  were  in  the  middle  stood  back  to 
back.  Marielle  and  Lucy  wondered  how  they 
happened  to  move  so  precisely  together.  The 
fact  was,  they  moved  in  obedience  to  signals 
which  Mary  Jay  made,  but  which  were  so  slight 
.hat  Marielle  and  Lucy  did  not  observe  them. 

"  Sing,"  said  Mary  Jay ;  and  she  immediately 
3egan  herself  to  sing  a  hymn,  in  a  clear  and  sweet 
tone  of  voice,  to  a  tune  which  all  the  children 
knew,  and  which  was  a  very  good  tune  to  march 
by.  The  children  joined  in  with  her,  singing  loud 
and  full.  As  soon  as  the  children  had  taken  up 
the  tune,  Mary  Jay  stopped  singing,  and  let  them 
go  on  alone.  Presently,  just  as  they  reached  the 
end  of  the  first  line,  she  gave  another  order, 
which  was,  — 

"  Time." 

The  children  all  began  beating  the  time  with 
the  left  foot,  while  they  went  on  singing.  At  tho 
end  of  the  second  line,  Mary  Jay  said,  — 

'  March." 

And  the  children  all  began  to  march.  Tlie 
Iwo  little  girls  who  were  at  the  ends  of  the  line 


MARY    JAYS    SUNDAY    SCHClCL.  117 

towards  Mary  Jay's  table,  turned,  and  marched 
towards  each  other,  adv^ancing  in  fi'ont  of  the 
table.  When  they  met,  they  turned  towards  the 
area,  and  took  hold  of  hands ;  and  then  they 
marched  along  down  the  centre  of  the  area,  all  the 
rest  following,  and  joining  hands,  two  by  two,  as 
fast  as  they  came  together. 

When  the  two  leaders  reached  the  back  side 
of  the  area,  they  separated  again,  and  turned  off, 
one  to  each  side,  and  so  came  back,  along  by  the 
seats  where  the  line  had  first  been  fonned.  Thus 
they  passed  around  and  down  through  the  area 
three  or  four  times,  until  they  had  sung  all  the 
verses  of  the  hymn.  Then  they  took  their  places 
in  the  lines  again  ;  and,  at  a  given  signal  from 
Mary  Jay,  they  all  sat  down  together. 

"  Now,  children,  we  will  learn  the  verse  for  the 
next  Sabbath  ;  —  no,  you  will  not  come  here  next 
Sabbath  to  recite  it,  for  this  is  the  last  day ;  but 
you  can  learn  the  verse,  at  any  rate.  1  have 
chosen  one  for  you  which  is  a  great  comfort  to 
me  now  that  I  am  going  away.     It  is  this :  — 

"  '  Are  not  two  sparrows  sold  for  one  fartJiingl 
and,  behold,  not  one  of  them  is  forgotten  before 
God: 

"  Now,  repeat.     Art  not  two  sparrows  — '' 


il8  LUCY    AT    PLAT. 

And  all  the  girls  said  aftei  her,  "  Are  not  tw^ 

"  Sold  for  one  farthing,'^  continued  Mary  Jay. 

"  Sold  for  one  farthing,"  repeated  the  scholars. 

And  thus  they  went  on,  Mary  Jay  enuncia- 
tins  the  several  clauses  of  the  verse  in  succession, 
and  the  children  repeating  them  after  her.  Mari- 
elle  and  Lucy  were  surprised  to  see  how  pre- 
cisely together  the  children  repeated  the  words. 

Mary  Jay  had  trained  them  to  do  it  very  ac- 
curately. 

"  Children,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  do  you  know 
what  this  verse  means  ?  " 

The  children  were  silent. 

"  It  means,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  that  sparrows  are 
such  litde  things  that  it  takes  two  of  them  to  be 
worth  a  farthing  ;  and  yet  God  takes  care  of  every 
one.  Of  course  much  more  will  he  take  care  of 
us.  So  you  see,  children,  it  is  an  excellent  verse 
for  us  all ;  and  particularly  it  is  an  excellent 
verse  for  me,  now  that  I  am  going  away  alonu 
among  strangers. 

"And  now  let  us  see,"  she  continued,  "if 
some  of  you  can  repeat  the  verse.  Lucretia,  you 
may  try." 

So  TiUcretia,  who  was  one  of  the  gu'ls  upon  the 


MARY    JAYS    SUNDAY    SCHOOL.  119 

yack  seat,  rose,  and  repeated  the  verse.  She 
spcke  in  a  low  and  gentle  tone,  but  they  were  all 
very  still,  and  so  they  could  hear  her ;  and  she 
said  it  very  correctly. 

"  Anna,"  said  Mary  Jay. 

Anna  was  a  litde  girl  who  sat  very  near  Ma- 
rielle  and  Lucy.  She  rose,  and  repeated  the 
verse  in  a  very  correct  and  proper  manner. 

"  Now  all  may  repeat  it  together,"  said  Mary 
Jay.     "  Begin." 

At  the  word  begin,  they  all  commenced  with 
one  voice,  and  went  through  the  verse  \n  'th  great 
correctness  and  precision. 

"  Very  well,  children,"  said  Mary  Jay.  "  Here 
ends  your  lesson.  Now  we  will  sing  a  verse. 
Rise." 

And  all  the  children  rose. 

Then  Mary  Jay  commenced  singing,  and  all 
the  children  joined  with  her.  When  it  was  con- 
cluded, she  directed  them  to  sit  down  again.  And 
then  she  said.  "  Recess  ;  "  —  and  all  her  scholars' 
arose,  and  began  to  walk  about  the  room,  min 
ffhno-  with  each  other,  and  talking  in  low  and 
subdued  tones. 

"  Why,  Mary  Jay,'"'  said  Marielle,  "  do  yf)U 
have  a  recess  in  your  Sunday  school  ?  I  nevei 
heard  of  a  recess  in  a  Sundav  school." 


120  LUCY    AT    PLAT. 

"  Nor  I,"  said  Mary  Jay  ;  "  but  my  scholars 
are  so  little  that  they  get  tired  of  sitting  still  so 
long  ;  and  so  I  let  them  have  a  little  recess,  to 
move  about  a  few  minutes  and  rest  themselves. 
But  I  tell  them  that  they  must  remember  that  it  is 
the  Sabbath  day,  and  so  be  very  still.  And  I 
think  that  they  are  pretty  still." 

"  Yes,"  said  Marielle,  ''  I  think  they  are  very 
still,  indeed." 

"  What  comes  after  the  recess  ?  "  asked  Lucy. 

"  Why,  what  1  call  my  sermon  comes  next," 
said  Mary  Jay,  with  a  smile. 

"  Your  sermon  ? "  said  Lucy.     "  Do  you  have 


a  sermon  ? " 


"  You'll  see,"  said  Mary  Jay. 

During  the  recess,  some  of  the  girls  went  out 
and  stood  upon  the  door  step,  or  walked  about 
upon  the  green.  But  they  all  came  back  again 
very  soon  ;  and  when  Mary  Jay  rapped  upon 
the  table,  they  were  all  ready  to  take  their  seats. 

When  they  were  seated,  Mary  Jay  began  to 
instruct  them  as  follows :  — 

"  What  is  necessary  for  us,  children,  in  order 
that  we  should  be  happy  in  heaven,  after  we  die  ?  " 

The  children  seemed  to  hesitate:  at  length, 
one  or  two  said,  "  We  must  be  good." 

"  We  must  be  good,"  repeated  Mary  Jay.     "  Js 


MARY    jay's    SUNDAY    SCHOOL.  121 

that  the  risht  answer?  All  of  you  that  think  that 
is  the  right  answer,  may  hold  up  your  hands." 

Nearly  all  the  children  held  up  their  hands. 

"  I  don't  think  it  is  the  best  answer,"  said 
Mary  Jay.  "  We  will  examine  it  a  little.  Must 
we  be  always  good,  or  will  it  do  to  be  sometimes 
good  and  sometimes  bad  ?  " 

"  Always,"  replied  the  children,  very  promptly. 

"  Then,  in  order  to  go  to  heaven  after  we  die, 
we  must  be  always  good." 

"  Yes,"  said  the  children,  with  one  voice. 

"  Then,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  who  do  you  think 
will  ever  go  to  heaven  ?  " 

There  was  a  long  pause ;  —  none  of  the  chil- 
dren answered. 

"  Who  do  you  think  will  ever  go  to  heaven," 
repeated  Mary  Jay,  "  if  it  is  only  those  can  go 
who  are  always  good  ?  " 

There  was  of  course  no  reply  to  be  made  to 
this  question. 

"  No,  children,"  continued  Mary  Jay,  "  you 
have  not  dven  me  the  rio;ht  answer.  You  have 
fijiven  the  common  answer,  but  1  don't  think  it  is 
the  right  answer. 

"  You  have  all  heard  of  the  thief  that  was 
cnicified  with  Jesus  Christ  —  the  penitent  zhief 
Where  did  he  go  when  he  died  ? " 


i22  LUCY    AT    PLAt. 

"  To  heaven,"  said  a  great  many  of  the 
children. 

"  Ye.^/'  said  Mary  Jay.  "  Jesus  Christ  prom- 
ised him  that  he  should  go  with  him  into  paradise; 
which  meant  heaven.  Now,  was  he  good  while 
he  hved  in  this  world  ?  " 

"  No,  indeed,  "  said  one  of  the  children  ;  "  he 
was  a  thief." 

"  Yes,"  replied  Mary  Jay  ;  "  so  that  you  see 
the  right  answer  is  not  that  we  must  be  good  in  or- 
der to  go  to  heaven  ;  we  must  be what  ?  " 

Mary  Jay  paused,  and  looked  all  about  the 
room,  waiting  for  an  answer. 

"  We  must  be what  ? forgiven. 

That's    it  —  Forgiven.       Not    good,    but  for- 
given, for  being  bad.     That's  the  distinction. 

"  Do  not  think,  however,  children,  that  I  am 
excusing  you  from  being  good.  We  ought  to 
be  good  all  the  time.  We  ought  to  obey  all 
God's  commands,  and  do  all  our  duty.  But, 
then,  we  must  not  expect  to  depend  on  this  as 
the  means  of  going  to  heaven.  It  is  forgive- 
ness for  our  sins  that  we  need.  Therefore,  chll 
dren,  remember,  if  you  want  to  be  happy  when 
you  die,  you  must  confess  your  sins  to  God,  and 
ask  him  to  forgive  you  now.  This  is  my  last 
fidvice  to  you.      Ask    God  to    forgive   you   foi 


MARY    jay's    SUNDAY    SCHOOL.  123 

eveiy  sin.  Whenever  you  do  wrong,  ay  soon 
as  possible  ask  God  to  forgive  you,  and  every 
night,  when  you  go  to  bed,  confess  all  your  sins, 
and  pray  to  God  to  forgive  you.  That  is  the 
way  to  prepare  yourselves  to  go  to  heaven.  Ana 
remember  that  there  never  was  a  person  good 
enough  to  go  to  heaven  without  forgiveness,  nor 
bad  enough  to  be  shut  out  with  it." 

Mary  Jay  made  some  further  explanations,  and 
tlien  she  gave  them  another  verse  to  sing.  After 
they  had  sung  the  verse,  she  read  another  prayer 
out  of  her  book  ;  and  this  was  the  closing  exercise 
of  the  school.  Then  the  children  put  on  their 
bonnets  and  caps,  and  all  went  away. 

Mary  Jay  and  the  two  girls  then  set  out  to- 
o^ether  to  walk  alono;  towards  home. 

They  went  on  slowly,  and  talking  by  the 
way,  for  some  time.  They  did  not  go  back  the 
way  they  came,  for  there  was  some  difficulty  in 
getting  over  the  fences ;  and  now  the  sun  was 
down  so  far  that  the  road  was  pretty  cool  and 
shady.  They  saw  little  groups  of  Mary  Jay's 
scholars  walkin^i  alonoj  the  road,  at  different  dis- 
tances  before  them.  These  children,  however, 
gradually  disappeared.  Some  turned  off  into 
other   roads ;  some  went   into  farm-houses :    and 


f24  LUCY    AT    PLAY. 

pretty  soon  all  had  gone  but  two,  who  were  stand 
ing  at  a  little  gate  which  led  to  a  small  white  house, 
a  little  way  back  from  the  road,  and  at  a  shod 
distance  before  Mary  Jay  and  the  two  girls  who 
were  with  her.  When  they  came  up  to  the  place 
where  the  two  scholars  were  standing,  they  spoke 
to  Mary  Jay,  and  told  her  that  their  mother  want- 
ed to  have  her  come  in  a  minute  as  she  was 
^oing  by. 

Mary  Jay  said  that  she  would  ;  and  she  asked 
Lucy  and  Marielle  to  go  in  with  her.  But  they 
declined.  Marielle  said  that  she  and  Lucy  would 
walk  along  very  slowly.  So  Mary  Jay  went  in, 
and  Marielle  and  Lucy  walked  on  a  few  steps, 
and  then  sat  down  to  wait  for  her. 

After  about  five  minutes,  they  saw  Mary  Jay 
coming  out  with  something  in  her  hand.  Lucy 
wondered  what  it  could  be.  When  Mary  Jay 
came  along  to  where  Lucy  was,  she  and  Marielle 
rose,  and  went  forward  to  meet  her,  and  asked 
what  it  was. 

"  Why,  the  mother  of  two  of  my  scholars  live? 
there,"  said  Mary  Jay,  "  and  she  says  that  she  i? 
very  much  obliged  to  me  for  teaching  her  chil- 
dren, and  that  they  have  been  a  great  deal  better 
children  since  the}   came  to  m}  Sabbath  school  * 


MAKY    jay's    SUNDAY    SCHOOL.  l'2b 

and  so  she  has  made  me  a  present  of  these  good, 
warm  moccasins.  They  are  to  keep  my  feet  warm 
next  winter." 

Lucy  and  Marielle  looked  at  the  moccasins. 
Thev  were  very  pretty,  and  Marielle  said  that 
the}^  looked  as  if  the}'  would  be  verj'  warm. 

' '  I  should  think  3-ou  would  be  verj-  glad  to  get 
such  good  warm  moccasins,"  said  Luc}'. 

"  I  am,"  replied  Mary  Jay.  "  And  I  am  glad, 
too,  to  hear  that  an}'  of  my  scholars  are  good  chil- 
dren.*' 

11* 


■k*  I. 


126 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

THE  PKESENT. 

When  Lucy  and  Marielle  had  left  Mary  Jay, 
on  their  way  home  from  the  Sabbath  School,  as 
was  described  in  the  last  chapter,  and  had  walked 
on  some  way,  Marielle  said  that  she  thought  it 
■would  be  a  good  plan  for  them  and  some  of  the 
other  girls  to  unite  and  buy  something  for  a  pres- 
ent for  Mary  Jay. 

"  So  it  would,"  said  Lucy.  "  It  would  be  an 
excellent  plan.  I  have  got  some  money  myself. 
And,  besides,  my  father  will  give  me  some  more. 
I  know  he  will.  I  will  ask  him  as  soon  as  I  get 
home." 

"Well,"  said  Marielle,  "you  may  ask  j^our 
father,  and  I  will  ask  mine  ;  and  then,  if  they  think 
it  is  a  good  plan,  we  will  ask  some  of  the  other 
girls." 

Lucy  went  home  very  much  interested  in  this 
idea  ;  and,  when  she  came  to  propose  it  to  her 
parents,  she  found  that  they  approved  of  it  very 
highly.     Marielle  came  over  to  see  Lucy  early 


THE    PRESENT.  127 

on  JMonday  morning,  and  said  that  her  lather 
thought  it  would  be  a  very  good  plan ;  and  so 
Ljucy  and  Marielle  went  around  to  collect  the 
money. 

They  found  that  the  plan  was  very  favor-ably 
received  wherever  they  went.  Mary  Jay  had 
taken  a  great  deal  of  interest  in  performing  acts 
of  kindness  for  the  girls  while  she  was  in  school 
with  them,  as  is  described  in  Lucy's  Stories. 
And  she  had  instructed  them  since,  and  read  them 
stories  out  of  her  Morocco  Book,  and  had  often 
given  them  good  advice ;  and  she  had  done  all  in 
so  gentle  and  pleasant  a  manner,  that  she  had  ac- 
quired a  great  influence  over  all  the  children, 
which  she  had  used  in  such  a  manner  as  to  do 
them  a  o-reat  deal  of  sood.  So  the  children  were 
all  very  much  pleased  with  Marielle's  plan,  and 
thei.''  parents  were  very  much  pleased  too. 

They  generally  asked  Marielle  w  hat  the  present 
wa.i  to  be.  But  she  said  that  it  was  not  for  lier 
to  decide  that ;  but  that,  as  soon  as  all  the  money 
was  collected,  all  the  girls  that  had  joined  in  it 
{vere  to  have  a  meeting,  and  then  consider  what 
it  would  be  best  to  buy. 

They  collected  several  dollars ;  and  it  was 
agreed  that  they  should  all  meet  tliat  afternoon, 
SI  the  garden,  at  Marielle's,  to  determi  le  what  to 


itea.«  I 


128  LUCY    AT    PLAY. 

buy.  And  in  the  mean  time,  Lucy  was  to  go  and 
see  Mary  Jay,  and  find  out  what  day  she  was 
going  to  leave  town,  in  order  that  they  might 
know  how  soon  they  must  have  the  present  ready. 
But  they  charged  Lucy  not  to  let  Mary  Jay  know 
what  the  reason  was  which  led  her  to  inquire. 

That  afternoon,  they  all  assembled  for  their  con- 
sultation. The  persons  were  just  the  same  that 
had  been  at  the  gypsy  supper ;  for  all  that  were 
at  the  gypsy  supper  had  contributed.  Miss  Anne 
went  also  with  liUcy,  as  it  was  necessary  to  have 
some  one  older  than  the  rest,  to  preside. 

There  were  a  great  many  things  proposed  for 
the  present.  One  wanted  it  to  be  a  new  gown, 
another  a  desk,  another  some  books. 

"  A  watch,"  said  Laura  — "  how  would  a 
watch  do  ? " 

"  O  yes,"  they  all  exclaimed,  "  a  watch,  a 
watch  !  let  us  get  a  watch." 

"  No,"  said  Miss  Anne,  "  you  cannot  have  a 
watch.     There  is  not  money  enough  for  a  watch." 

"  Not  money  enough  ?  "  said  litde  Charlotte. 
*^0  Miss  Anne,  there  is  a  great  deal  of  money." 

"  Yes,''  replied  Miss  Anne.  "  I  know  there  is  ; 
but  it  is  not  enough  to  buy  a  good  watch.  And 
t  would  be  best  not  to  give  her  one,  unless  it 
was  a  good  one  " 


THE    PRESENT.  129 

"  Lei  it  be  a  desk  then."  said  LaurL.  "  I 
^ould  have*  a  desk.  Mary  Jay  writes  a  great  deal, 
and  I  know  that  she  would  Hke  a  handsome  por- 
table desk.  There  is  money  enough  for  that : 
isn't  there,  Miss  Anne  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Miss  Anne,  "  I  think  there  is." 

"I  know  what  I  would  give  her,"  said  Royal. 

"  What?  "  asked  several  of  the  children. 

*'  A  crutch,"  answered  Royal. 

"  A  crutch  !  "  they  exclaimed,  in  astonishment. 
"  O  Royal,  a  crutch  isn't  a  pretty  thing  at  all. 
I  would  not  give  her  a  crutch." 

"  Yes,"  said  Royal, "  a  good,  handsome  crutch  ; 
an  elegant  crutch.  And  then,  when  people  see 
that  she  is  lame,  they  won't  think  she  is  poor." 

"  O  no,  no,"  said  the  children,  "  I  wouldn't 
have  a  crutch  ;  would  you,  Miss  Anne  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  Miss  Anne.  "  I 
neve,  should  have  thought  of  such  a  thing,  my- 
self ;  but  since  Royal  has  thought  of  it,  it  is  worth 
considering.  It  would  be  a  singular  thing  for  a 
present,  certainly." 

"  We  will  have  it  made  of  rose-wood,"  said 
Royal,  "  with  a  silver  plate  on  it,   and  all  our 


names." 


"  I  don't  think  that  there  will  be  time  to  hav« 
a  crutch  made,"  said  Miss  Anne. 


130 


LUCY    AT    PLAY. 


"  Yes,  there  will,"  said  Lucy,  "  for  she  is  not 
going  till  next  week,  now  She  was  going  thi? 
week ;  but  she  says  it  is  put  off  till  next  week, 
on  Tuesday." 

''  Did  you  tell  her  what  you  wanted  to  know 
for  ?  "  asked  Royal. 

"  No,"  replied  Lucy  ;  "  1  told  her  it  was  a 
secret." 

The  children  all  laughed  aloud  at  this ;  but 
Lucy  could  not  see  what  it  was  that  made  them 
laugh. 

"  Why,  you  told  me,"  said  she,  "  not  to  let 
Mary  Jay  know,  and  so  I  told  her  it  was  a 
secret." 

"  Well,  you  should  not  have  told  her  any  thing 
about  it,"  said  Royal. 

"  O,  never  mind  that,"  said  Miss  Anne.  "  Lei 
us  think  about  the  present.  I  think  a  desk  would 
be  a  very  good  thing  indeed ;  and  as  to  a  crutch, 
I  don't  know.  When  Royal  first  mentioned  it,  I 
did  not  like  it  very  well." 

"  Nor  I,"  said  Laura.  "  I  wish  she  did  not 
use  any  cmtch  at  all." 

"  Yes,"  said  Miss  Anne,  "  we  all  wish  that 
very  much  ;  but  since  she  has  to  wear  one,  and 
probably  will  do  so  for  a  long  time  to  come,  the 
question  is,  whether  we  had  not  better  get  her  a 


THE    PRESENT.  131 

nandsome  one.     And   I    don't  know.      I  should 
like  to  ask  Lucy's  mother,  or  Marielle's." 

'•  Let  us  go  and  ask  my  mother,  now,"  sak' 
Mariehe ;  "she  is  sitting  on  the  piazza." 

"  Very  well,"  repHed  Miss  Anne,  "  we  wil 
go."  So  all  the  children  walked  along,  following 
Miss  Anne,  out  of  the  summer-house,  where  tl:ey 
had  assembled,  and  along  the  garden-walks,  till 
they  came  to  a  piazza  which  projected  into  the 
garden  from  the  rear  of  the  house  where  Marielle 
lived.  There  was  an  elderly  lady,  dressed  in 
black  silk,  sitting  upon  the  platform  of  the  piazza, 
in  a  little  rockins-chair,  sewins;.  Her  work-table 
was  by  her  side.  Miss  Anne  advanced  to  a 
little  railing  upon  the  edge  of  the  platform,  and 
the  children  all  gathered  around,  while  she 
stated  the  case  to  the  lady,  who  was  Marielle's 
mother. 

The  lady  smiled  when  she  heard  of  Royal's 
proposal ;  but  she  did  not  answer  hastily.  She 
paused  a  short  time  to  consider.  At  length  she 
said,  — 

"  I  am  not  certain  but  that  Royal  is  right.  It 
is  true  that  a  desk  would  be  a  very  appropriate 
present.  She  would  use  it  a  great  deal,  and  it 
would  be  a  great  source  of  enjoyment  to  her. 
And  yet  a  handsome  crutch  might,  on  the  whole 


1  }2  LUCY    AT    PLAY. 

bo  still  better.  A  young  female,  suffering  undei 
such  a  calamity,  feels  depressed  and  disheartened 
by  it.  especially  when  in  public,  and  among  stran- 
gers. The  feeling  of  being  an  object  of  pity  is 
painful.  But  if  she  wore  a  handsome  crutch, 
one  that  was  evidently  somewhat  expensive,  peo- 
ple would  see  that  she  was  not  in  very  humble 
circumstances ;  and  I  think  it  likely  the  wearing; 
it  would  save  her  feelings,  and  encourage  her  in 
the  presence  of  strangers,  and  thus  help  her 
where  she  most  needs  help.  Yes,  I  am  rather 
in  favor  of  a  cmtch.  They  make  them  some- 
times very  handsome  for  ladies.  The  shaft  is  of 
rose-wood,  down  as  far  as  the  hand  extends,  and 
the  lower  part  is  a  metallic  rod,  with  a  sort  of 
button  at  the  bottom." 

"  Do  you  think  we  shall  have  money  enough  ? " 
said  M arielle. 

"  O,  never  mind  that,"  replied  her  mother. 
"  Miss  Anne  may  engage  such  a  one  as  she 
-hinks  most  suitable ;  and  we  shall  be  able  to 
make  out  the  money  in  some  way  or  other,  1  dare 
say.  Only,  Miss  Anne,"  she  continued,  "  you 
must  not  get  one  too  expensive,  or  that  will  be 
entirely  out  of  keeping  with  her  dii^ss  and  ap- 
pearance in  general,  or  that  will  have  the  appear- 
itnce  of  an  ostentatious  display." 


THE    PRESENT.  133 

'  I  shall  not  know,"  said  Miss  Anne,  "  exactly 
\\^hat  kind  of  one  to  get ;  bdt  I  can  ask  Lucy's 
father  about  it.  But  come,  girls,"  she  added, 
"  we  will  £0  back  to  the  suramer-house  ao^ain/' 

They  talked  over  tlie  subject  some  time  longer ; 
and  the  more  they  considered  it,  the  better  they 
were  pleased  with  this  plan.  In  fact,  they  all 
said  that,  if  they  were  lame,  they  should  want  to 
have  a  handsome  crutch,  by  all  means.  At  last 
it  was  agreed  that  Miss  Anne  should  talk  wit^" 
Lucy's  father  about  it,  and,  if  he  approved  of  tne 
plan,  that  she  should  go  into  the  town,  to  such  a 
place  as  he  should  recommend,  and  get  one  made. 
She  was  to  get  it  done  by  Saturday,  and  then  they 
were  all  to  meet  at  the  same  place,  to  look  at  it, 
and  to  determine  in  what  way  to  present  it  to 
Mary  Jay. 

On  Saturday,  they  assembled  accordingly.  As 
the  different  groups  came  up,  they  waited  at  the 
gate,  to  inquire  of  each  other  if  the  crutch  had 
come.  Presently  they  saw  Miss  Anne,  and  Royal 
and  Lucy,  walking  along  towards  them  at  a  rapid 
rate,  and  Royal  had  the  crutch  in  his  hand.  As 
he  drew  nearer,  they  perceived  that  it  was  done 
up  in  papers,  which  were  carefully  tied  around  it, 
S(.)  as  to  cover  "t  entirely.  When  Royal  reached 
12 


>Lxi 


134  LUCY    AT    PLAY. 

the  gate,  they  opened  it,  and  all  the  part}  wenl 
in  toward  the  summer-house,  eager  to  see. 

When  they  reached  the  place,  Royal  untied 
the  strings,  and  unrolled  the  papers,  one  after 
another,  and  brought  the  whole  crutch  to  view. 
The  children  all  said  that  it  was  very  beautiful. 
The  upper  part  was  made  of  rose-wood,  of  a  splen- 
did color,  and  it  was  polished  highly.  The 
lower  part  was  a  metallic  rod,  with  a  little  knob 
at  the  bottom.  The  color  of  the  metal  was  white 
On  the  top  of  the  crutch,  at  the  place  where  it 
comes  under  the  arm,  there  was  a  small  silver 
plate,  with  something  engraved  upon  it.  The 
children  all  wanted  to  see  what  it  was ;  and  they 
found,  on  holding  it  down  so  that  they  could  see 
it,  that  the  plate  contained  the  words,  From 
Friends. 

"  We  thought  that  that  would  be  better,"  said 
Miss  Anne,  "  than  to  put  all  your  names  on." 

"  Yes,"  said  Marielle,  "  a  great  deal  better. 
Mary  Jay  will  remember  all  our  names." 

"  Yes,"  rejoined  Miss  Anne,  "  we  thought  it 
w^ould  be  well,  when  you  send  it,  to  send  a  note 
with  all  your  names  in  it,  because  she  will  wan< 
lo  know  whom  it  is  from." 

"  And  my  name  too  ? "  said  litde  Charlotte. 


THE    PRESENT.  l'£5 

*'  Yes,"  said  Miss  Anne,  "  your  name  too,  by 
all  means." 

"  Well,"  said  Charlotte,  in  a  tone  of  great  satis^ 
faction ;  and  she  went  capering  about  in  high 
glee. 

Various  plans  were  proposed  for  giving  the 
crutch  to  Mary  Jay.  Among  the  others  there 
was  this  —  that  Miss  Anne  and  two  or  three  of  the 
children  should  be  at  the  house  when  Mary  Jay 
was  going  away  ;  that  they  should  have  the  new 
cmtch  hid  behind  the  stage  ;  and  that,  when  Mary 
Jay  came  out  to  get  into  the  stage-coach,  Miss 
Anne  siiould  offer  to  hold  her  crutch  for  her  while 
she  got  in ;  and  then,  after  she  was  fairly  in  her 
seat,  that  they  should  put  in  the  new  crutch 
instead  of  the  old  one,  and  shut  the  stage  door 
quick,  and  let  her  be  driven  off. 

Miss  Anne  said  that  that  was  certainly  an  in- 
genious plan ;  but  she  thought  that  that  mode 
would  not  be  so  pleasant  to  Mary  Jay,  as  some 
other  mode  might  be. 

''  It  would   give  her  a  sudden   surprise,"  con- 
tinued Miss  Anne,  "  which  would  not  be  pleasant 
in  so  public  a  place  as  a  stage-coach.     She  would 
probably   be    very  much    embarrassed  and  con- 
used." 

"  Besides  "  said  Laura,  "  I  don't  want  to  Inve 


136  LUCY  AT  PLAT. 

it  given  to  her  just  when  she  is  going  away.  1 
want  to  see  how  she  looks,  and  to  hear  what  she 
says  We  had  better  all  go  together,  and  ask  her 
to  come  out,  and  then  give  it  to  her  ourselves." 

"  No,"  said  M arielle,  "  I  don't  think  that  will 
be  the  best  way.  She  would  rather  be  alone 
when  she  receives  it.  Let  Royal  carry  it  to  the 
door  all  tied  up,  and  the  note  fastened  to  it,  and 
give  it  to  her  sister,  and  ask  her  to  give  it  to  Mary 
Jay,  and  then  come  right  away." 

There  was  some  objection  made  to  this  plan, 
but  at  length  it  was  adopted.  Miss  Anne  thought 
it  would  be  pleasanter  for  Mary  Jay  to  receive  it 
in  some  such  way  as  that.  "  I  think,"  said  she. 
"  that  she  would  rather  receive  it  alone.  And 
then,  besides,  it  is  better  that  she  should  have  it  a 
little  time  before  she  goes  away,  in  order  that  she 
may  become  somewhat  accustomed  to  it." 

Accordingly,  that  evening  Royal  carried  the 
crutch.  He  waited  until  evening,  in  order  that 
he  might  be  more  sure  not  to  find  Mary  Jay  her- 
self at  the  door,  or  in  the  yard  or  garden.  He 
knocked  at  the  door,  and  Mary  Jay's  sister  came. 
He  handed  her  the  crutch,  and  the  note,  and 
asked  her  if  she  w^ould  be  so  good  as  to  give  them 
t(.  Mary  Jay  ;  and  ther  he  turnod  around  and 
Came  directly  away. 


THE    PHESENT  137 

On  the  Monday  following,  which  was  the  day 
before  Mary  Jay  went  away,  the  girls  received  a 
little  note  from  her,  thanking  them  for  their  pres- 
ent.    The  note  was  as  follows  :  — 

"  My  dear  Friends, 

"  I  was  veiy  much  astonished  last  evening 
when  my  sister  brought  in  your  beautiful  present 
to  me.  I  like  it  very  much  indeed.  It  is  so  light 
that  1  can  walk  very  easily  with  it,  and  it  feels 
very  smooth  to  my  hand.  1  shall  not  be  nearly 
so  much  troubled  because  I  am  lame,  when  I  am 
amono;  strangers,  now  that  I  have  sot  such  a 
beautiful  crutch  ;  and  you  may  depend  upon  it 
that  I  shall  not  very  soon  forget  who  the  friends 
were  that  performed  so  great  an  act  of  kind- 
ness for 

Mary  Jay." 

Maiy  Jay  found  her  crutch,  in  use,  as  valuable 
as  she  had  expected.  She  felt  far  less  awkward 
and  embarrassed  ;  for,  as  Royal  had  predicted,  she 
had  now^  the  feeling  that,  though  it  was  evident 
that  she  was  lame,  the  beauty  of  her  crutch 
showed  that,  at  any  rate,  she  was  not  fiiendless 
and  poor. 

12* 


138 


CHAPTER    IX. 


A    FRIGHT. 


RoFAL  and  Lucy  formed  a  plan  to  go  fcs 
blueberries  in  a  wild  piece  of  pasture  land,  not 
very  far  from  where  they  lived.  They  got 
several  other  children  to  go  with  them.  There 
was  RollOj  who  was  then  quite  a  small  boy,  and 
a  boy  named  Thomas,  and  Marielle. 

They  took  some  luncheon  in  a  basket.  Their 
plan  was  to  eat  their  luncheon,  out  of  the  basket, 
as  soon  as  they  got  to  the  blueberry  ground. 
Then  they  were  going  to  fill  the  basket  with 
blueberries,  to  bring  home.  Each  one  took  a 
litde  tin  mug  to  pick  in,  because  they  could  not 
conveniently  all  pick  into  the  same  basket. 

They  walked  along  very  pleasandy  together, 
till  they  came  to  the  pasture.  Then  they  had  to 
clamber  along  up  rough  and  precipitous  paths, 
and  among  rocks  and  brambles.  At  last  they 
came  to  the  place  where  the  bluebemes  were 
found      Before  they  began  to  gather  them,  how 


A    FRIGHT.  139 

ever,  they  went  into  a  little  copse  of  trees,  near 
the  borders  of  a  brook,  and  sat  down  upon  the 
stones  to  eat  their  luncheon. 

The  brook  was  pretty  large,  and  it  flowed 
among  rocks  and  bushes ;  and  just  opposite  to 
where  the  children  had  stopped,  it  divided  into 
two  parts,  which  formed  an  island  between  them. 
Royal  and  William  said  that  they  meant  to  g(> 
over  to  that  island,  and  eat  their  luncheon  there 
So  they  began  to  step  along  from  one  stone  tc 
another  across  the  brook. 

"  I  mean  to  go  too,"  said  Rollo. 

"  And  I,"  added  Lucy.  And  they  rose  from 
their  seats,  and  attempted  to  follow  the  two  boys. 

"  Royal,  stop  for  me,"  said  Lucy  ;  "  stop  and 
help  me  over  this  deep  place." 

"  O,  you  must  jump  over  yourself,"  said  Royal, 
"  as  I  did." 

"  But  it  is  too  far  for  me  to  jump,"  said  Lucy. 
"  I  wish  you  would  just  come  and  help  me 
across." 

"  Yes,  come.  Royal,"  said  Rollo. 

But  Royal  had  got  over  upon  the  island,  and 
was  lost  from  view  among  the  bushes.  Rollo 
and  Lucy  called  louder  and  louder ;  but  Royal 
only  answered  with  a  sort  of  shout,  such  that  thev 


140  LUCY  AT  PLAY. 

could  not  hear  what  he  said,  but  only  they  knew 
that  he  was  not  coming  back. 

It  was  wrong  for  Royal  and  Thomas  to  do  so 
They  were  the  oldest  boys  of  the  party,  and  they 
ought  to  have  acted  as  guides  and  protectors  of 
tne  rest.  Instead  of  soing  oft'  to  seek  their  own 
amusement,  and  leaving  the  rest  of  the  party,  they 
ought  to  have  been  willing  to  have  sacrificed  their 
own  wishes,  in  some  respects,  in  order  to  please 
the  younger  children. 

"  Come  back,  children,"  said  Marielle.  "  I 
would  not  go  over  upon  the  island.'* 

"  Why^  Marielle,"  replied  Lucy,  "  it  is  a  beau- 
tiful place  there,  and  we  want  to  go  very  much. 
I  don't  see  why  Royal  couldn't  have  come  back 
and  helped  us  across." 

"  Well,"  said  Marielle,  "  I'll  come  and  see  if 
I  can  help  you  over." 

So  Marielle  went  to  the  place.  The  children 
were  standing  upon  a  flat  stone,  near  the  middle 
of  the  brook.  The  water  which  was  beyond 
them  was  not  deep,  and  it  was  only  a  short  dis- 
tance to  the  next  stone.  The  boys  had  leaped 
across  without  any  trouble,  but  Marielle  hesitated. 

"  I  am  afraid  to  have  you  try  to  go  across 
there,"  said  Marielle, 


A    FRIGHT.  14J 

**  Wh)'.  Marielle,"  said  Lucy,  "you  can  jump 
(Across  very  easily  ;  and  then,  if  you  will  take  hola 
<,f  our  hands,  we  can  get  across  too." 

"  Yes,  only  I  don't  know,"  said  Marielle,  "  but 
that  those  rocks  are  slippery ;  and  if  you  should 
slip  in,  and  get  one  foot  into  the  water,  then  wf 
should  all  have  to  go  directly  home,  and  it  would 
spoil  our  expedition." 

"  O  dear  me  1 "  said  Rollo  ;  "  I  wish  Royal 
would  come  back." 

They  shouted  to  Royal,  several  times,  as  loud 
as  they  could,  but  they  got  no  answer.  He  had 
gone  across  from  the  upper  part  of  the  island  to 
the  main  land  again,  and  had  disappeared  among 
the  bushes. 

"  I  don't  think  that  he  ought  lo  have  gone  off 
and  left  us,"  said  Lucy.  "  Now,  how  shall  we 
find  our  way  home  ?  " 

"  O,  he'll  come  back  again  before  long,"  said 
Marielle.  "  We'll  begin  to  get  our  blueberries, 
only  we'll  stay  pretty  near  here,  and  then  he  will 
know  where  to  find  us." 

So  Rollo  and  Lucy  came  back  from  the 
brook.  They  finished  eating  their  luncheon,  and 
then  they  went  back  a  little  from  the  brook,  to  a 
place    where   the  benies    were  thick,  and  com 


142  LUCY    AT    PLAY. 

menced  gathering  them.  They  put  the  b«iskel 
down  in  a  central  place,  where  it  would  be  con- 
venient for  them  all  to  find  it,  to  pour  in  what 
they  should  gather  in  their  mugs,  and  then  they 
went  to  work  industriously  gathering  the  blue- 
berries. 

Marielle  had  emptied  her  mug  once  into  the 
basket,  and  Rollo  and  Lucy  had  filled  theirs  halt 
full,  when  Royal  and  Thomas  came  back. 

"  Ah,"  said  Royal,  "  you  don't  know  what  a 
beautiful  place  we  found  out  tliere,  Lucy." 

"  What  kind  of  a  place  ?  "  asked  Lucy. 

"  O,  there  were  some  rocks  there  piled  up  very 
high,  and  a  great  tree  growing  out  of  a  crack  in 
one  of  them." 

"  I  wish  /  could  see  it,"  said  Lucy. 

"  It  was  a  beautiful  place,"  said  Royal. 

Marielle  secretly  thought  that  it  was  not  acting 
much  like  a  gentleman  for  Royal  to  go  away  and 
leave  her  and  the  two  children  alone,  and  then 
come  back  and  boast  of  the  fine  things  that  he 
had  seen.     But  she  said  nothing. 

'•  And,  Marielle,"  said  Royal,  "  we  saw  some 
other  children  out  there  getting  blueberries." 

"  Did  you  ?  "  said  Marielle. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Royal ;  "  they  were  near  a  verj 
thick  piece  of  bushes." 


A    FRIGHT.  143 

*  Were  the  blueberries  pretty  thick  there?" 
asked  Marielle. 

''  1  don't  know,"  replied  Royal.  "  They 
seemed  to  be  picking  them  pretty  fast. 

"  O  Thomas,"  continued  Royal,  "  I'll  tell  you 
how  we  might  have  had  some  fun.  We  might 
have  hid  in  the  bushes,  and  growled  like  two 
beai-s,  and  they  would  all  have  been  frightened 
away." 

"  Yes,"  said  Thomas,  "  so  we  might." 

"  I've  a  great  mind  to  go  now,"   said  Royal. 

"  No,  I  wouldn't  frighten  them,"  said  Marielle ; 
"  let  them  pick  their  berries." 

"  O,  it  will  not  frighten  them  much,"  said 
Royal ;  "  and  after  it  is  all  over,  they  will  only 
laugh  at  it." 

"  No,  you  mustn't  frighten  them,"  said  Lucy. 

''  Yes,"  said  Royal ;  "  let  us  go  ;  we  can  creep 
along  slyly  by  the  bank  of  the  brook,  and  get  into 
the  bushes  close  to  where  they  are." 

"  No,"  said  Rollo,  gesticulating  with  his  hand, 
and  speaking  in  a  veiy  positive  tone ;  "  you 
must  not  frighten  them,  Royal." 

"  I  shall  go  and  tell  them,"  said  Lucy,  "  that 
you  an't  any  bears  at  all ;  that  you  are  nothing 
but  Royal." 


144 


LUCY    AT    PLAT. 


"  JNo,"  said  Royal,  '•  you  must  not  tell  tluim.  If 
/ou  do,  1  will  run  away  from  you,  and  leave  you 
here  all  alone ;  and  1  don't  believe  that  you  can 
find  your  way  home." 

So  Royal  and  Thomas  went  off,  creeping 
slowly  along  by  the  bank  of  the  brook,  until  they 
came  to  a  little  copse  of  trees,  which  was  near 
where  the  children  were  gathering  their  blue- 
berries. There  were  three  children  —  two  gii'ls 
and  a  boy.  The  oldest  girl  was  about  as  old 
as  Marielle,  the  youngest  about  as  old  as  Lucy, 
and  the  boy  was  between  them,  in  respect 
to   age. 

They  were  all  barefoot,  and  they  wore  very 
Did  clothes.  In  fact,  they  were  poor,  and  had 
come  to  gather  berries  to  sell,  to  get  some  money 
for  their  mother. 

If  Marielle  and  Lucy  had  known  these  facts, 
they  would  have  been  still  more  unwilling  to  have 
had  Royal  go  and  frighten  these  children  •  and 
Royal  himself  would  probably  have  altered  his 
plan.  And  as  it  was,  Marielle  and  Lucy  wert 
very  sorry  to  have  him  go. 

"  I  wish  he  would  come  back,"  said  Lucy, 
*  and  not  go  and  frighten  those  poor  children.''^ 

"  Yes,"  said  Marielle,  "  it  seems  cruel,  w  iiile 


A     FRIGHT. 


145 


they  are  there  enjoying  then-seli^es  so  well,  to  go 
and  put  them  all  into  pain." 

"  O,  he  is'nt  going  to  hurt  them,"  said  Rollo ; 
"  he  is  only  going  to  frighten  them  a  little." 

"  Friiihtenintr  them  is  hurtino;  them."  said  Ma- 
rielle.  '•  I  am  sure  1  think  beinoj  frio;htened  is  the 
worst  kind  of  pain." 

"  So  do  I,"  said  Lucy. 

"  One  day,"  added  Marielle,  '•  a  dog  ran  after 
me  in  the  road,  and  frightened  me  terribly,  and  I 
fell  down  and  hurt  my  head  ;  but  the  fright  was 
a  great  deal  worse  than  the  pain  in  my  head." 

Lucy  said  that  she  had  a  great  mind  to  go  and 
tell  the  children  not  to  be  frightened.  Marielle 
made  no  reply  to  this  proposal.  She  would  not 
object  to  it;  but,  then,  on  the  other  hand,  she  did 
not  dare  to  encourage  Lucy  to  go,  or  to  do  any 
thing  herself  to  oppose  Royal  openly  ;  as  she  was 
afraid  that  he  would  go  away  and  leave  them,  as 
he  had  threatened  to  do.  So  she  remained  where 
she  was,  and  they  all  went  on  quiedy,  gathering 
hemes. 

After  a  short  time,  they  suddenly  heard  an  out- 
cry, in  the  direction  towards  which  Royal  and 
Thomas  had  gone.  The  bushes  and  trees  were 
in  the  way  so  much  that  they  could  not  see  any 
thing ;  but  they  listened  and  heard  several  voices, 


1.46  LUCy    AT    PLAY. 

Uttering  shouts  or  cries.  A  moment  afterwards, 
they  saw  the  three  children  running  across  the 
pasture,  at  some  distance  from  them.  They  came 
mto  view  from  behind  some  trees,  and  seemed  to 
be  running  along  as  if  going  towards  the  bars  by 
which  they  had  come  into  the  pasture.  Marielle 
and  Lucy  could  not  see  them  very  well ;  they 
could  only  get  a  glimpse  of  their  heads,  now 
and  then,  as  they  ran  along ;  for  the  ground 
was  much  broken  between  where  they  were  run- 
ning and  the  place  where  Marielle  and  her  party 
stood,  and  it  was  covered  with  brakes  and 
bushes. 

"  There  they  go,"  said   Lucy. 

'*'  Poor  children,"  said  Marielle,  "  how  they  are 
frightened  !  I  mean  to  run  and  tell  them  that  it 
is  not  a  bear,  if  Royal  does  go  off  and  leave  us." 

So  Marielle  put  down  her  mug  by  the  basket, 
and  ran  off  after  the  girls,  calling  out,  "  Girls  ! 
Girls  !  Children  !  " 

The  oldest  girl  looked  around,  and  saw  Marielle 
pui-suing  her,  and  supposed  that  she,  too,  had  been 
frghtened  by  the  bear,  and  was  running  away. 
So  this  only  made  them  run  the  faster.  The 
youngest  of  the  litde  girls  had  dropped  her  blue- 
beiries  at  first ;  but  the  boy  and  the  oldest  girl 
had    contrived    to   keep   theirs   until    they    were 


^ 


A     FRIGHT.  147 

alarmed  anew  by  Marielle.  And  now  they 
dropped  their  baskets  too,  and  ran  on  as  fast  35 
they  could  run. 

Marielle  found  that  she  could  not  overtake 
them,  and  she  was  afraid  to  leave  Lucy  and 
RoUo  alone.  So  she  came  back  to  the  place. 
Lucy  aiid  Rollo  had  climbed  up  to  the  top  of  a 
little  hillock,  in  order  to  see. 

"  Could  not  you  make  them  hear  you  ? "  asked 
Rollo. 

"  Yes,"  said  Marielle,  "  they  heard  me,  and 
looked  round,  but  they  would  not  stop.  They 
only  ran  away  so  much  the  faster." 

"  Where  do  you  think  they  will  go  ?  "  said 
Lucy. 

"  I  don't  know,"  said  Marielle,  despondingly. 

In  a  few  minutes,  they  saw  Royal  and  Thomas 
coming  back.  They  did  not  come  by  the  same 
way  that  they  went,  but  farther  out  towards 
where  the  children  had  run  away.  They  looked 
hurried,  and  Royal  had  an  anxious  expression  of 
countenance. 

"  What  sir^"  children,"  he  said,  "  to  be 
frightened  so  much  !  I  did  not  think  they  would 
be  frightened  so  much !  Which  way  did  they 
go : 

"  They  went  off  that  way,"   said  Lucy  and 


M8  LUCY    AT    PLAr. 

Rollo.  "  You  have  frightened  them  entirely 
ivvay." 

"  I  did  not  think  they  would  be  fnghttUv^d  sc 
much,"  said    Royal. 

Marielle  said  nothing;  but,  after  a  moment'3 
pause^  she  stooped  down,  and  began  to  gather 
berries  again 

"  I  mean  to  go  and  find  them,  and  tell  them 
to  come  back,"  said  Royal.  "  Come,  Thomas, 
so  with  me." 

So  Thomas  and  Royal  went  away,  in  the  di- 
-ection  in  which  the  children  had  gone.  They 
walked  as  fast  as  they  could  go.  Royal  was 
sorry  for  what  he  had  done.  He  had  supposed 
that  they  would  have  been  frightened  only  a 
little,  and  would,  perhaps,  have  run  away  a  short 
distance,  and  then  stopped ;  and  then  he  and 
Thomas  were  comincr  out  of  the   woods  lauorh- 


mg. 


But  it  is  always  very  dangerous  to  attempt  to 
frighten  any  body.  It  is  impossible  to  know  be- 
forehand what  effects  will  be  produced  ;  for  ter- 
ror is  very  seldom  in  proportion  to  its  cause. 
Children  in  lonely  places,  like  that  where  thesw 
partieF  had  gone  to  gather  blueberiies,  are  very 
easily  terrified  ;  and,  when  fears  are  once  aroused^ 
it  is  very  difficult  to   quell   them  again.     Royai 


A    FRIGHT.  149 

dA  wrong  In  attempting  to  put  the  children  to 
any  pain  whatever,  for  his  own  amusennent ;  but 
he  did  not  intend  that  the  mischief  should  have 
been  so  great  as  it  really  proved. 

He  hurried  alon^jj  after  the  children,  feelinor 
anxious  and  self-condemned.  He  was  in  advance 
of  Thomas,  as  he  was  very  eager  to  overtake  the 
children.  After  going  some  distance,  Thomas 
called  out  to  him,  — 

"  O  Royal,  look  here  !  " 

Royal  turned  back,  and  Thomas  pomted  him 
to  the  place  where  the  children  had  dropped  their 
baskets  when  they  had  been  frightened  the  second 
time,  by  Marielle.  The  baskets  were  tumbled 
down,  and  the  berries  spilled  all  about.  Royal 
looked  upon  them  with  a  countenance  expressive 
of  great  concern. 

"  They  have  spilled  all  their  berries,"  said 
Thomas. 

"  Yes,"  said  Royal.     "  Let's  pick  'em  up." 

So  Royai  began  gathering  up  the  berries  as  fast 
as  he  could,  only  he  did  it  carefully.  Some  were 
on  the  grass,  and  were  clean  and  uninjured  ;  but 
others  had  rolled  away  into  the  dusty  path,  and 
were  spoiled.  Royal  worked  a  few  minutes,  and 
then  he  said  to  Thomas,  — 

"  Thomas,  I  had  better  go  on  and  find  them 


■»  o  * 


150  LDCY    AT    PLAY. 

while  you  stay  here  and  finish  picking  \.p  the 
oerries." 

*'  No,"  said  Thomas,  "  I  don't  want  to  be  lefi 
here  all  alone." 

"  Yes,"  said  Royal,  "  it  will  not  be  but  a  few 
minutes.  We  will  all  come  right  back  here. 
Because,  if  I  stay  here,  I  am  afraid  that  they  will 
get  away  too  far." 

Thomas  reluctantly  consented  to  remain,  and 
Royal  went  on.  Presently  he  came  to  a  path 
which  led  along  to  the  bars.  He  followed  the 
path,  sometimes  walking  fast,  and  sometimes  run- 
ning, until  he  came,  at  length,  in  view  of  the  bars  ; 
and  there  he  saw  the  three  children  perplexed 
and  unhappy,  and  not  knowing  what  to  do.  The 
youngest  was  sitting  down  upon  the  grass  by  the 
side  of  the  rop.d,  crying. 

"  Why,  girls,"  said  Royal,  when  he  came  up 
near  enough  to  speak,  '•  what  made  you  mn  off 
so  far?" 

The  older  girl  was  silent ;  the  younger  con- 
tinued to  cry.    The  boy,  after  a  litde  pause,  said,— 

"  We  heard  a  temble  noise  down  there  in  the 
woods." 

"  O,  that  wasn't  any  thing,"  said  Royal ;  "  f.l 
was  only  another  boy  and  I.  But  w(!  didn't 
mean  to  frignten  you  so  much." 


A  tkiGin.  151 

*'  You  did  frighttn  us  veiy  much  indeed/'  said 
Jic  boy. 

"  And  yoi  have  made  us  spill  all  our  blue- 
herries,"  said  the  oldest  girl ;  "  and  now  1  don\ 
know  what  we  shall  do." 

Here  the  little  girl  began  crying  and  sob- 
bing anew.  Royal  stood  silent  and  sad  ;  he  was 
shocked  to  see  how  much  mischief  he  had  done. 

"  Don't  cry,  Jenny,"  said  the  older  girl.  "  We 
will  go  back  and  get  our  baskets."  She  spoke  in 
a  gentle,  but  a  very  melancholy  tone. 

"Yes,"  said  Royal,  "we'll  go  back;  and  I'll 
help  you  pick  some  more  blueberries." 

The  children  began  to  go  back  slowly,  follow- 
ing Royal.  Royal  told  them  that  Thomas  was 
picking  up  the  berries  that  they  had  spilled,  and 
that  he  would  help  them  get  some  more. 

"We  can't  stop  to  get  any  more,"  ssid  the 
older  sirl.  "  We  must  so  home  now.  W  ^  were 
just  ready  to  go  when  you  frightened  us." 

"  But  why  need  you  go  home  so  soon  r  "  said 
Royal.  "  It  is  not  but  little  more  than  the  •  niddle 
of  the  afternoon  yet.  We  shall  have  two  hours 
more,  before  sundown." 

"  But  we  have  got  a  great  way  to  go,"  .'  ^plied 
(he  girl,  "  to  sell  our  berries.  Mother  told  us  to 
b»  "jure  and  come  home  by  the  middle  of  tlu  ^fttv* 


152  Lucy    AT    PLAT. 

noon,  so  as  to  have  tune  to  sell  our  berries ;  foi 
if  we  do  fiot  get  a  chance  to  sell  them  before  night, 
then  we  have  all  our  work  for  nothinsj." 

"  Why  ?     Can't  you  eat  your  berries  ?  " 

"  Why,  yes,  we  can  eat  them,"  said  the  giil, 
"  but  we  want  to  sell  them.  But,  then,  we 
haven't  got  any  to  sell  now  ;  —  I  forgot  that ;  — 
so  we  may  as  well  stay  as  not.  Only,  then, 
mother  won't  know  what  is  become  of  us.  O 
dear !  I  don't  know  what  we  shall  do." 

When  they  came  to  the  place  where  Thomas 
was  picking  up  the  blueberries,  Royal  went  to 
work  at  once,  very  busily  too.  Little  Jenny  said, 
in  a  mournful  tone,  — 

"  Now,  my  basket  isn't  here,  Mary  ;  and  I  don't 
know  where  it  is."     And  she  began  to  cry  again. 

The  older  girl,  whose  name,  it  seems,  was  Mary.. 
told  her  not  to  cry. 

"  IN  ever  mind,  Jenny,"  said  she.  "  Don't  cry  ; 
mother  won't  blame  us  much,  when  we  tell  hei 
all  about  it." 

"  But  I  can't  find  my  basket  at  all,"  said  Jennj 

"  Why,  you  dropped  it  out  there  where  yoh 
first  began  to  run  away,"  said  Royal.  "  You  go 
bacP  there,  and  get  it,  while  we  are  picking  up 
these  blueberries." 

"  No,"  said  Jenny,  shaking  her  head 


A     FRIGHT.  153 

'   Yes,"  replied  Royal  ;  "  it  is  not  veiy  far."' 

'  No,"  said  Jenny  ;  "  I'm  afraid  to  go  there 
igain." 

"  Ho  !  "  said  Royal ;  "  you  need  not  be  afraid. 
There's  nothing  there.  It  was  only  Thomas  and 
I  that  made  that  noise. 

But  Jenny  was  afmid  to  go  ;  and  so  Royal 
said  that  he  would  go,  and  come  back  with  Jenny's 
basket  in  a  minute. 

"  And  you  finish  picking  tnese  up,  Thomas,'' 
said  he.     "  Pick  'em  up  very  carefully." 

So  Royal  went  away.  When  he  was  gone, 
Mary,  who  had  thus  far  stood  looking  upon  the 
scene  in  a  sort  of  silent  despair,  now  began  to  help 
Thomas  gather  up  the  blueberries  from  the  grass. 
Many  of  them  had  rolled  down  into  the  dust,  and 
got  spoiled  ;  but  there  was  a  large  portion  which 
was  not  injured.  These  the  children  were  rapidly 
)uttin2;  back  into  the  basket  a^ain,  when  Marielle 
and  Lucy,  who  had  seen  them  returning  there, 
came  over  with  Rollo  from  where  they  had  been, 
to  see  what  was  soino;  on. 

As  soon  as  she,  and  Rollo,  and  Lucy,  saw  what 
they  were  doing,  they  went  to  work  too,  to  help 
gadier  up  the  blueberries ;  and  they  soon  got 
hack  into  the  baskets  all  that  were  fit  to  go.     Bb- 


154  LUCY    AT    PLAt. 

fore  long,  Royal  came  back,  too,  with  Jenny's 
basket.  He  had  waited  to  pick  up  her  blueberries, 
which  had  been  spilled  as  well  as  the  rest. 

They  found  that  so  many  of  the  berries  haa 
been  lost  or  spoiled  that  the  baskets  were  not 
nearly  as  full  as  they  were  before.  So  Marielle 
proposed  to  Rollo  and  Lucy  that  they  should  give 
Mary  theii-s.  Rollo  and  Lucy  said  that  they 
should  like  to  do  that  very  much.  Mary  at  first 
refused  to  receive  them  ;  but  Marielle  insisted  upon 
it,  for  she  said,  "  We  have  not  got  to  go  home  yet, 
and  we  can  gather  plenty  more."  So  they  poured 
in  the  blueberries  into  the  other  children's  baskets, 
and  filled  them  full.  And  when  they  went  away, 
Marielle  went  up  to  Mary,  and  said  to  her  in  a 
low  tone,  — 

"  If  you  can't  sell  your  blueberries  easily,  come 
to  our  house,  and  perhaps  my  mother  will  buy 
them." 

Then  Royal,  and  Marielle,  and  their  party,  be- 
gan again  to  gather  blueberries  for  themselves ; 
>jut  the  occurrences  of  the  afternoon  had  shed  such 
a  gloom  over  the  party,  that  they  did  not  feel  m 
clined  to  stay  very  long.  They  gathered  a  few, 
and  then  they  went  home.  Royal  did  not  say 
much ;  but  he  seemed  really  soiTy  for  the  mischief 


A    FRIGHT.  155 

he  had  done.  Though  he  had  spoiled  the  pleas- 
ure of  the  party,  yet  Marielle  did  not  reproach 
him.  In  fact,  he  seemed  so  sorry  for  it,  and  so 
disfosed  to  do  all  lie  could  to  make  reparat'on, 
that  in  her  heart  she  fi)rgave  him. 


1 


156 


DHAPTER    X. 

ROYAL   A   PROTECTOR. 

When  Royal  went  home  that  evening,  he  fell 

very  mucli  chagrined.  He  could  not  look  back 
upon  the  scenes  of  the  afternoon,  without  great 
mortification  and  regret.  He  was  sorry  for  hav 
ing  put  the  poor  children  to  so  much  inconve- 
nience, trouble,  and  pain.  And  then  he  was  sorry 
that  he  had  been  able  to  do  so  little  towards 
making  reparation.  The  spilled  blueberries  had 
been  gathered  up  by  Thomas,  Marielle,  Lucy, 
and  Rollo,  more  than  by  himself;  and  then  they 
had  to  take  those  which  Marielle,  Lucy,  and  Rol- 
lo, had  gathered,  to  make  amends  for  what  were 
lost  and  spoiled.  On  the  whole,  it  was  a  very 
unfortunate  afternoon,  and  he  wanted  very  much 
to  go  again,  some  day,  to  retrieve  his  character. 

Still  he  hardly  dared  to  propose  it.  He 
thought  that,  if  he  should  ask  Marielle  and  Lucy, 
they  would  not  want  to  go.  And  probably  he 
would  not  have  proposed  it,  had  it  not  been  thai 
Marielle  came  one  afternoon,  not  many  days  aftei 


ROYAL    A    PROTECTOll.  157 

this  occurrexice,  to  play  with  Lucy ;  and  this 
gave  him  so  good  an  opportunity  to  propose  the 
plan,  that  he  could  not  let  it  pass. 

"  It  was,  however,  as  he  expedited.  Marielle 
and  Lucy  did  not  want  to  go.  They  did  not 
give  any  reason,  but  Royal  knew  very  well  what 
it  must  be.  So  he  did  not  urge  their  going ;  but 
he  said, — 

"  Well,  Marielle,  I  owe  you  and  Lucy  some 
blueberries,  and  I  believe  I'll  go  myself,  and  get 
some  to  pay  you.  I'll  go  and  get  aunt  to  let 
Rollo  go  with  me." 

"  What  do  you  owe  us  any  blueberries  for  r  " 
asked  Marielle. 

"  For  those  which  you  gave  Mary  and  Jenny, 
the  other  day,  to  pay  for  those  I  made  them 
spill." 

"  O,  never  mind  that,"  said  Marielle.  "Be- 
sides, my  mother  bought  them  that  evening,  and 
so  we  had  them  all  back  again." 

"  So  you  bought  back  your  own  berries  ?  "  said 
Royal. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Marielle.  "  Mary  said  she  did 
not  want  to  sell  us  any,  only  what  she  and  the 
other  children  picked  themselves ;  but  mother 
made  her  take  pay  for  the  whole." 

Royal  concluded  to  go  himself,  for  blueberries, 
U 


'  «■ 


158  LUCY    AT    PLAY. 

if  IVlarielle  would  not.     He  went  and  obtainea 
his  mother's  leave,  and  then  went  to  ask  his  :.unt 
Holiday  to  let  Rollo  go  with  him.     She  said  yes. 
So  the  boys  walked  along  together,  Royal  carry 
ing  a  basket,  and  Rollo  a  little  tin  mug. 

Now,  it  happened  that  there  was  a  small  green 
field,  with  a  path  through  it,  which  the  children 
had  to  pass,  on  their  way  to  the  pasture.  There 
was  a  brook  runnina:  through  the  centre  of  this 
field,  with  smooth  and  beautiful  grass  ground  on 
each  side.  There  was  a  large  grove  at  one  end, 
up  the  brook,  and  there  were  scattered  trees  over 
the  rest  of  the  ground. 

Royal  came  through  the  grove.  By  going 
around  after  Rollo,  he  had  been  taken  somewhat 
out  of  his  way,  so  that  he  had  to  come  through 
the  grove,  instead  of  along  the  path,  through  the 
fi-ild,  which  would  have  been  the  way  if  he  had 
come  directly  from  his  father's  house. 

As  they  advanced  towards  the  edge  of  the 
grove,  and  looked  forward,  they  saw  several  chil- 
dren advancing  along  the  path.  There  was  a 
small  flock  of  sheep  scattered  over  the  field, 
cropping  the  grass.  The  field  was  a  mowing 
field  ;  but  the  crop  had  been  mowed,  and  so  the 
farmer  that  owned  it  had  turned  the  sheep  in,  to 
feed  upon  the  short  ^rass  which  was  left,     Rollo 


ROTAL    A    PROTECTOR.  159 

was  glad,  for  he  liked  to  see  sheep  feeding  in 
:ne  fields. 

Now,  two  circumstances  occurred  at  this  crisis 
w  hich  were  very  fortunate  for  Royal,  in  respect 
to  his  desire  to  retrieve  his  character.  One  was, 
that  Mary  and  Jenny  happened  to  come  after 
blueberries  that  afternoon  again.  The  other  was, 
that,  after  he  had  gone,  Marielle  changed  her 
mind  about  going  herself,  and  proposed  to  Lucy 
that  they  should  go.  She  saw.  that  Royal  felt 
troubled  at  the  consequences  of  his  misconduct, 
and  felt  convinced  that  he  would  not  act  so  ao:ain. 
She  saw,  too,  that  he  was  v^ery  desirous  to  make 
some  amends  for  the  past,  and  she  thought  that 
he  would  be  pleased  to  have  her  and  Lucy  go 
again,  and  let  him  show  them  the  change  in  his 
demeanor.  So  she  proposed  to  Lucy  to  go ; 
and  thus,  by  a  singular  train  of  circumstances,  it 
happened  that,  when  Royal  and  Rollo  came  along 
out  of  the  grove,  the  children  that  they  saw  com- 
ing were,  Jenny  and  her  party  first,  and  Marielle 
and  Lucy  at  a  little  distance  behind. 

He  was  just  on  the  point  of  running  down  to 
meet  them,  when  he  heard  a  loud  but  distant 
voice  calling  to  them.  It  came  from  the  opposite 
side  of  the  field,  where  the  path,  which  the  girls 
were  walking  in,  led  over  into  a  lane  which  con- 


160  LUCV  AT  PLAY. 

ducted  to  a  fami-liouse.  Royal  and  Rollo  looked 
in  the  direction  from  which  the  sound  came,  and 
listened.  They  saw  a  little  girl  upon  the  bars^ 
and  perceived  that  she  was  calling  out  to  them. 

"  Children,"  said  the  girl,  "  children,  run.  Jolly 
IS  coming  after  you." 

The  children  looked  around  behind  them,  and 
Royal  and  Rollo  looked  in  the  same  direction  ; 
and  they  saw  a  large  ram,  with  monstro'is  horns 
curled  all  around  his  ears,  advancing  towards 
Marielle,  nodding  with  his  head,  and  just  upon 
the  point  of  springing  at  her.  Marielle  and  Lucy 
cried  out  in  terror,  and  ran.  The  other  children 
were  before  them,  and  they  ran  too.  But  the 
brook  was  in  their  way,  and  they  could  not  cross 
it  without  some  difficulty  ;  and  they  were  greatly 
terrified  at  finding  themselves  so  hemmed  in,  and 
with  such  a  ferocious-looking  enemy  close  upon 
them. 

Royal  sprang  forward,  and  ran  with  all  his 
speed  down  towards  the  children. 

"  Don't  be  afraid,"  said  he  ;  "  I'll  take  care  of 
the  ram.  I  a'n't  afraid  of  him.  Go  ov^er  the 
brook  as  slowly  as  you  please." 

So  Royal  advanced  to  meet  the  rai/  The 
children  scrambled  along  over  the  brook,  and  then 
mn  up  the  slope  on  the  other  side,  until  they 


ROYAL  A  PROTECTOR.  IGl 

reached  the  bars,  where  they  all  climbed  over. 
They  had  just  time  to  get  fairly  over,  and  to  look 
around,  when  they  saw  the  ram  come  w^ith  all  his 
force  against  Royal,  and  knock  him  down. 

"  O  dear !  he'll  kill  him  !  "  exclaimed  Marielle. 

But  Royal  was  up  again  in  an  instant.  The 
ram  stepped  back,  nodding  his  head,  and  preparing 
evidently  for  another  charge. 

Royal  waved  his  basket  back  and  forth  a  mo- 
ment to  intimidate  the  ram  ;  but  it  seemed  to  have 
but  little  effect.  He  looked  around  him,  and  saw 
a  tree  near.  He  sprang  tow^ards  it,  and  got  round 
behind  it,  and  then  began  to  look  out  from  behind 
it  at  the  ram.  He  saw  that  the  ram  was  stand- 
ing in  a  threatening  attitude,  his  head  down,  and 
apparently  all  ready  for  a  spring. 

"  Now  come  on,  old  fellow,  if  you  please," 
said  Royal,  "  and  beat  your  own  brains  out.'* 

From  his  post  of  security  Royal  looked  back 
to  see  if  all  the  children  were  safe.  They  were 
all  on  the  other  side  of  the  bars,  excepting  Ma- 
rielle and  Rollo.  For  Marielle  had  come  back 
into  the  field  again,  to  go  after  Rollo,  who  had 
remained  standing  where  Royal  had  left  him. 
She  had  called  to  him  to  come  to  her ;  and  so, 
when  Royal  looked  around,  Rollo  was  runnintj 
along  towards  Marielle,  who  was  holding  out  hei 
14* 


162  LUCY  AT  PLAY. 

nand  and  encouraging  him  along,  but  not  daring 
to  go  herself  a  great  way  from  the  bars. 

"  Royal,"  called  Marielle,  "  can't  you  climb 
up  into  that  tree  ?  and  then  1  will  go  and  get  £ 
man  to  come  and  take  the  ram  away." 

"  No,"  said  Royal  ;  '•  I  know  how  to  manage 
him.     You  lead  Rollo  away." 

So  when  Marielle  and  Rollo  were  safe  upon 
the  other  side  of  the  bars,  Royal,  watching  his 
opportunity,  suddenly  darted  away  from  his  tree, 
and  ran  to  another  one,  at  a  litde  distance  from 
it.  The  ram  followed,  still  threatening,  but  de- 
terred from  actually  coming  on  by  seeing  how 
Royal  was  protected  by  the  tree.  He  did  not 
seem  disposed  to  accept  Royal's  invitation  to 
beat  his  own  brains  out  by  knocking  his  head 
against  a  tree. 

Presently  Royal  retreated  to  another  tree,  and 
then  to  another.  The  ram  followed  him,  watch- 
ing him  narrowly,  and  endeavoring  constandy  to 
get  an  opportunity  to  attack  him,  but  in  vain. 
Royal  soon  reached  the  grove.  Here  he  could 
retreat  more  easily  and  rapidly  still,  as  the  treea 
were  quite  near  together.  He  gradually  drew 
nearer  to  the  fence,  though  he  was  coming  to  it 
at  a  considerable  distance  from  die  bars,  where 
the  other  children  had  got  over.     They,  howevei 


ROYAL    A    PROTECTOR.  163 

saw  where  he  was  coming  out,  and  they  passed 
along  to  the  place,  on  the  back  side  of  the  fence, 
so  as  to  be  ready  to  receive  hiin  when  he  should 
get  over. 

"  Come  quick,  Royal,"  said  Lucy. 

Royal  reached  the  fence,  and  climbed  up  to 
the  top  of  it,  and  took  his  seat  upon  a  post,  whenj 
he  sat  looking  at  the  ram.  The  ram,  too,  stood 
at  a  few  steps'  distance,  fixing  his  eyes  on  him. 
He  looked  confounded.  He  did  not  know  what 
to  make  of  such  an  escape  from  his  power.  The 
children  on  the  other  side  could  see  throucrh  the 
interstices  between  the  rails. 

"  Well,  sir ! "  said  Royal,  looking  the  ram  full 
in  the  face. 

The  ram  looked  at  him,  but  said  nothing. 

"  What's  his  name,  litde  girl  ?  Jolly,  did  you 
say  ?  "  asked  Royal. 

"  Yes,  his  name  is  Jolly,"  replied  the  little 
girl. 

"  Well,  Jolly,"  said  Royal,  "  I  am  much 
obliged  to  you  for  waiting  upon  me  across  the 
field.  "  I've  got  safe  to  the  fence  now  ;  and  T 
would  recommend  to  you  to  go  back  and  take 
care  of  your  sheep." 

So  Ro}al  got  down,  and  walked  on  with  the 
children.     They  all  seemed  very  glad  indeed  to 


164  LUCY    AT    PLAT. 

find  hitn  safe  with  them  again  ;  and  they  reached 
the  blueberry  ground  without  any  furthei  adven 
ture. 

There  was  a  large  pile  of  boards  at  the  place 
where  they  entered  tho  pasture.  The  boards  had 
been  placed  there  for  the  purpose  of  making 
a  fence.  The  children  amused  themselves,  a 
few  minutes,  see-sawing,  upon  the  ends  of  the 
boards,  and  then  they  passed  on  to  the  blueberry 
bushes. 

They  went  on  very  pleasantly  for  two  hours, 
gathering  berries.  Royal  put  two  mugs  full  into 
Jenny's  basket,  which  pleased  her  very  much. 
They  were  all  very  grateful  to  him  for  protecting 
them  from  the  ram,  and  he  himself  found  that  it 
was  far  pleasanter  to  relieve  distress  than  to  create 
it.  In  fact,  it  happened  that,  in  the  course  of  the 
afternoon,  he  had  another  occasion  for  the  exercise 
of  energy  anfl  courage  in  defending  Marielle  and 
the  children.     It  was  thus  :  — 

Mary  and  her  party  gradually  wandered  ofl'  by 
themselves ;  and  about  the  middle  of  the  afternoon, 
they  went  away,  leaving  Royal  and  those  who 
were  with  him  in  the  pasture  alone.  That  is, 
there  was  nobody  near  them,  with  whom  they 
were  acquainted  ;  but  they  could  see,  here  and 
there,  at   a  distance  among  the  bushes,  the  heads 


ROYAL  A  PROTECTOR.  165 

of  Other  persons,  engaged,  like  themselves,  in  gath 
ering  berries.     They  found  the  berries  very  thick 
Royal  would    scramble  about  among    the  rocks 
and  bushes,  and  find  the  good  places  ;  and  then 
he  would  call  Marielle  and  the  children  to  come 
and  gather  berries  there. 

About  an  hour  before  sundown,  just  as  Marielle 
was  going  to  say  that  it  was  time  to  go  home,  the 
children  were  alarmed  at  hearing  a  distant  rum- 
bling sound. 

"  What's  that  ?  "  said  Lucy. 

"  It  is  thunder,"  said  Marielle. 

The  children  looked  up,  and  saw  a  large  blacK 
cloud  spreading  all  over  the  western  sky.  They 
had  been  so  much  en<i;ao;ed  o;atherino:  their  berries, 
which  caused  them  to  stoop  down  among  the 
bushes,  that  thev  had  not  observed  the  cloud 
before. 

"  We  must  go  home  immediately,"  said  Ma- 
rielle, "  or  we  shall  be  caught  in  the  rain." 

"  Yes,"  said  Royal.  "  Let  us  pour  our  berries 
into  the  basket,  and  go  right  away." 

here  another  distant  peal  of  thunder  rever- 
berated through  the  sky. 

Rjyal  hastened  to  pour  the  berries  from  his 
mug  into  the  basket,  and  then  he  helped  Rollc 


166  LUCY    AT    PLAY. 

and  Lucy  along  with  theirs.  He  took  up  the 
basket,  which  was  now  pretty  heavy,  and  began 
to  carry  it  along. 

"  I'll  take  the  basket,"  he  said  to  MarielJe,  "If 
you  will  help  the  children." 

So  Royal  went  on  as  fast  as  he  could,  while 
Marielle  followed  with  the  children.  They 
looked  round  repeatedly  at  the  cloud,  and  it 
seemed  to  be  risino;  fast.  The  thunder  grrew  loud- 
er  and  more  frequent ;  and  once,  when  Marielle 
was  lookino;  back,  she  saw  a  faint  splitter  in  the 
blackest  part  of  the  cloud.  It  was  a  flash  of 
lightning.  ' 

"  I  don't  believe  we  shall  get  home  before  tlie 
shower,"  said  Marielle. 

"  Perhaps  we  can  get  into  some  house,"  said 
Royal. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Marielle,  "  only  there  are  no 
houses  very  near." 

"  Well,"  said  Royal,  "  we  shall  only  get  wet 
pretty  well ;  that  is  all." 

"  I  don't  want  to  get  wet,  I  am  sure,"  said 
Lucy. 

"  And  besides,"  said  little  Rollo,  "  I'm  afraid 
the  thunder  will  strike  us." 

"  O  no,"  said  Royal,  "  I  don't  think  that  tlieiv 


ROYAL    A    PROTECTOR.  167 

IS  any  danger  that  the  thunder  will  strike  us.  It 
is  a  great  way  off." 

"  How  do  you  know  ?  "  asked  Lucy. 

*'  Because,"  said  Royal,  "  we  don't  see  the 
ightning  much.  If  it  was  near,  the  lightning 
would  be  very  bright." 

The  children  looked  back,  from  time  to  time, 
at  the  cloud.  It  seemed  to  be  coming  on  apace. 
Dark  scuds  were  flying  in  contrary  directions 
about  the  edge  of  the  cloud,  and  every  thing  in- 
dicated the  approach  of  a  violent  tempest.  A 
few  drops  of  rain  began  to  fall  just  as  the  children 
came  in  sight  of  the  pile  of  boards. 

"  We  are  a  great  way  yet  from  any  house,"  said 
Marielle.  "  1  don't  believe  that  we  can  get 
to  any." 

"  Then  we  must  get  under  the  ends  of  these 
boards,"  said  Royal.  "  There  will  he  some 
shelter  there." 

Marielle  hesitated  a  moment,  thinking  v/hethei 
It  would  be  better  to  stop  and  avail  themselves  of 
the  little  shelter  which  the  boards  would  aflord, 
or  to  go  on  in  search  of  a  house,  or  some  buildii.Tj 
and  by  so  doing  run  the  risk  of  being  caught  out 
where  they  should  be  exposed  entirely  unsheltered 
to  the  whole  fun''  of  the  storm.  On  the  whole, 
thev  concluded    :o  stop.     They  crept    in  under 


168  LUCY  AT  PLAY. 

the  end  of  the  pile,  where  some  of  the  boards 
projected  fartlier  than  the  rest,  thus  affording 
them  a  httle  shelter. 

"  But  stop,"  said  Royal,  as  if  suddenly  recol- 
lecting himself;  ''  I  can  make  you  a  shelter.' 

He  immediately  stepped  out  of  his  retreat,  and 
climbed  up  to  the  top  of  the  pile  of  boards.  He 
began  to  take  off  the  boards  one  by  one,  and  to 
slide  them  down  on  the  side  of  the  pile  which 
was  opposite  to  the  quarter  of  the  heavens  from 
which  the  thunder-cloud  was  coming. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  ?  "  said  Marielle. 

"  I  am  going  to  make  you  a  house,"  said 
Royal. 

Marielle  was  afraid  to  have  Royal  up  so  high, 
especially  now  that  the  wind  was  beginning  to 
blow.  She  could  see  vast  clouds  of  dust  rising 
along  the  line  of  the  roads  at  a  distance  ;  and  a 
violent  waving  motion  commenced  upon  the  tops 
of  the  trees,  accompanied  by  a  loud,  roaring  sound. 
She  begged  Royal  to  come  down. 

Royal  said  that  he  would,  pretty  soon.  In  the 
mean  time,  he  pushed  down  the  boards  one  after 
another,  as  fast  as  he  could,  running  one  end  of 
each  down  to  the  ground,  and  planting  it  at  a  little 
distance  off  from  the  pile.  The  other  end  he  left 
resting  upon  the  edge  of  the  pile.      He  plj>ced  the 


ROYAL    A    PROTECTOR.  16l« 

boards  side  by  side  in  this  position ,  so  that  the) 
formed  quite  a  roof,  covering  and  enclosing  a 
pretty  large  space  underneath  them.  When  he 
had  thus  run  down  six  or  eight  boards,  he  told 
Marielle  and  the  children  that  they  had  better  gel 
under  them,  as  it  was  just  beginning  to  rain  faster. 

So  Marielle  and  the  two  children  crept  under. 
The  space  was  pretty  large,  and  it  was  high 
enough,  next  to  the  pile  of  boards,  for  them  to 
stand  upright.  Lucy  said  that  it  was  a  very 
good  garret.  Marielle  called  Royal  to  come 
down,  and  come  in  too ;  but  he  said  that  he  must 
put  some  more  boards  on  first. 

"  Why,  Royal,"  said  Marielle,  "  this  will  do 
very  well.     It  is  large  enough.^^ 

"  Yes,"  said  Royal,  "  but  I  want  to  put  some 
more  boards  over  it,  to  cover  up  the  cracks." 

"  O,  the  cracks  don't  do  any  hurt,"  said  Ma- 
rielle. "  The  rain  does  not  come  down  the 
cracks  at  all ;  not  a  drop." 

And  Marielle  held  out  her  hand,  as  she  stood 
under  the  roof  which  Royal  had  made  for  her,  to 
see  if  any  rain  came  through. 

"  No,  not  now,  perhaps,"  said  Royal ;  "  but 
presently,  when  the  rain  comes  pouring  down 
in  a  torrent,  it  will." 

Royal  kept  at  work  all  the  time  that  lie  wa.i 


i70  LUCY    AT    PLAt, 

talking  sliding  down  more  boards,  over  those 
which  he  had  put  down  first,  to  cover  the  cracks. 
In  the  mean  time,  it  began  to  rain ;  and  the 
thunder  grew  louder  and  louder.  The  wind 
howled  about  his  ears,  and  rattled  the  boards,  and 
made  it  very  difficult  for  him  to  place  them.  At 
length,  just  as  Royal  was  ready  to  go  down,  and 
get  in  under  his  hut  himself,  a  sudden  gust  took 
one  of  his  boards,  the  upper  end  of  which  ex- 
tended upwards  farther  than  the  rest,  and  blew  it 
and  three  others  away  from  their  places,  aiid 
carried  them  out  to  some  distance  on  the  grass. 

Mariellp  and  the  children  were  frightened  at 
the  noise ;  but  it  was  now  raining  so  fast  that 
they  did  not  mn  out.  Royal  soon  repaired  the 
breach  with  other  boards,  which  he  placed  so  that 
the  wind  should  not  have  any  advantage  in  get- 
ting hold  of  them.  At  length,  when  all  seemed 
secure.  Royal  came  down  from  the  pile,  and  ran 
in  under  the  shelter,  with  the  water  running  down 
off  his  hat  and  clothes  in  streams. 

"  Now,  Royal,"  said  Marielle,  "  you  have  got 
yourself  all  wet  through,  making  us  a  shelter." 

"  That's  no  matter,"  said  Royal.  "  It  is  good 
fun  for  a  boy  tc  get  wet." 

Just  then,  a  terrible  clap  of  thunder  burst,  and 
rattled  over  their  heads,  preceded  by  a  vivid  flash 


ROYAL    A    f-UOTECTOR.  171 

of  lighlning.     They  were  pJl  alai'uied  at  tlie  sound 
Royal,  however,  said  that  he  thought  that  was  the 
worst  clap  they  should  have,  and  that  now   the 
storm  would  soon  be.  over. 

And  so  it  proved.  The  wind  soon  abated,  and 
the  thunder  appeared  gradually  to  pass  away 
to  the  eastward.  It  continued  to  rain  in  torrents 
for  sonie  time;  but  then  they  were  completely 
protected  from  it,  and  did  not  get  wet  at  all.  It 
was  an  hour  before  the  rain  was  entirely  over,  so 
that  they  could  go  out  and  go  home.  But  then 
the  air  was  bright,  the  sun  was  shining,  and  all 
nature  looked  refreshed.  Royal  felt  much  better 
pleased  with  having  been  the  protector  of  his 
party,  than  with  having  teased  and  troubled  them 
as  he  had  done  on  the  former  day.  And  though 
Marielle  did  not  say  any  thing  about  it,  he  knew 
that  she  was  pleased  with  him  too.  Royal  liked 
Marielle  for  her  gentleness  and  patience ;  and 
she  liked  him  tor  his  energy  and  courage. 


173 


CHAPTER    XI 


THE   DICTIONARY. 


One  evening,  Lucy  was  playing  in  the  parloi 
where  her  mother  was  at  work  sewing.  Lucy 
was  sitting  upon  a  cricket,  looking  over  a  book 
Presently  she  found,  between  the  leaves  of  the 
book,  a  small  piece  of  white  paper. 

"  O  mother !  I've  found  a  piece  of  paper," 
said  she. 

Her  mother  did  not  answer. 

"  I  wish  I  had  a  pen  and  ink,"  said  Lucy 
again,  in  a  tone  intermediate  between  talking  to 
herself  and  to  her  mother ;  "  then  I  would  write  a 
letter  on  this  piece  of  paper." 

"And  what  would  you  do  with  your  letter?" 
said  her  mother. 

"  Why,  I  would  play  that  I  was  the  postman, 
and  so  I  would  carry  it  about." 

Just  then  Lucy  happened  to  recollect  that  her 
father  was  in  his  room  writing ;  and  so  she  con- 
rluded  that  she  would  go  in  and  ask  him  to  write 


THE    DICTIONARY.  173 

aer  a  letter.     She  accordingly  rose  from  her  seat 
and  went  to  the  door  of  her  father's  room. 

The  door  was  open  a  little  way,  and  Lucy 
had  a  great  mind  to  go  m  without  knocking.  But; 
then,  she  remembered  that  it  was  proper  for  hei 
to  knock  at  her  father's  door,  and  she  accordingly 
did  so.  Nobody  answered.  Then  Lucy  pushed 
the  door  a  little,  so  as  to  open  it  wider,  in  order 
to  see  whether  her  father  was  there. 

He  was  not  there.  There  was  nobody  there. 
Lucy  pushed  the  door  open  farther,  and  walked  in. 

There  was  a  lamp  burning  upon  a  table  which 
stood  against  the  window.  Several  books  and 
papers  were  upon  the  table.  One  great  book 
was  lying  open.  There  was  a  round,  black  ink- 
stand not  far  from  the  book.  It  had  a  large,  coni- 
cal hole  in  the  middle  of  it,  which  led  down  to 
the  ink ;  and  there  were  several  smaller  holes 
around,  near  the  edge,  to  put  the  pen  into.  Theie 
was  a  pen  with  its  point  in  one  of  these  holes, 
the  top  of  it  leaning  over  to  one  side. 

"  Now,  here's  a  pen  and  ink  all  ready,"  said 
fiUcy  ;  "  but  where's  my  father  ?  " 

Lucy  walked  up  to  the  table,  and  began  to  look 

at  'the  book  which  was  lying  open.      "  What  a 

great  book  ! "  she  said      "  I  wonder  if  I  can  read 

tn  such  a  ^reat  book.     Here  are   some  bis:  let- 

15*= 


174 


LUCY    AT    PLAT. 


ters  on  thj  top.     I    can  read  such  big  letters  as 
these." 

There  were  three  big  letters,  in  two  places,  od 
the  top  of  each  page ;  and  Lucy  began  t(  reac 
them. 

"  H-o-n,"  said  Lucy,  reading — "  H-o-n  " 
spells  hon;  but  I  don't  know  what  hon  means. 
I  wonder  what  this  book  is  about." 

But  Lucy  could  not  find  out  what  it  was 
about,  and  so  she  thought  that,  as  her  father  was 
away,  she  would  take  the  pen  and  write  herself 
a  letter.  She  accordingly  put  her  paper  down 
upon  the  corner  of  the  table,  and  then,  reaching 
over  the  great  book,  she  dipped  the  pen  care- 
fully into  the  conical  hole  in  the  middle  of  the 
inkstand.  She  then  drew  the  pen  very  slowly 
and  cautiously  to  the  paper,  secretly  feeling, 
however,  all  the  time,  that  she  was  doing  wrong. 

Lucy  made  several  marks  upon  her  paper,  and 
then  the  ink  in  her  pen  failed.  She  accordingl) 
reached  back  to  the  inkstand  to  get  some  more. 
She  thought  that  she  did  not  dip  her  pen  far 
enough  down  before,  and  that  that  was  the  rea- 
son why  the  ink  failed  so  quick.  She,  therefore, 
this  time,  dipped  the  pen  in  so  far  that  the  point 
of  it  touched  the  bottom  of  the  inkstand  ;  and 
so,  when  it  came  up,  it  was  full  of  ink. 


THE    DICTIONARY.  IT 5 

It  was  00  full  of  ink,  in  fact,  so  that  a  little 
drop  hung  from  the  point  just  ready  to  fall  ;  and 
very  unfortunately,  just  as  Lucy  had  got  the  pen 
almost  across  the  great  book,  the  drop  did  fall, 
and  it  made  quite  a  large,  round  spot  upon  the 
middle  of  one  of  the  pages. 

Lucy  was  very  much  frightened  at  this  occur- 
rence. She  put  the  pen  back  in  its  place,  and 
beiian  to  walk  as  fast  as  she  could  so  out  of  the 
room.  In  a  moment,  however,  she  reflected  that, 
as  soon  as  her  father  came  in,  he  would  see  the 
ink  spot,  and  would  at  once  inquire  who  made  it. 
So  she  thouo-ht  that  she  would  come  and  shut  the 
book  up,  and  that  would  keep  the  ugly-looking 
blot  out  of  sight.  She  accordingly  came  back 
hastily  to  the  table,  shut  the  book  up,  and  then 
went  immediately  away. 

But,  notwithstanding  this  ingenious  precaution; 
her  mind  continued  in  a  state  of  tjreat  atritntion 
and  alarm.  She  went  back  to  her  cricket,  and 
besran  to  look  over  her  book  ao-ain  :  but  she  felt 
very  wretched.  Finally,  she  came  to  the  very 
wise  conclusion  of  [roinsr  back  at  once,  and  find- 
no^  her  father,  and  lellins  him  all  about  the 
affair. 

She  put  her  book  down  upon  the  cricket,  and 
went  a^ain  towards  her  father's  room.     She  found 

9 


176 


LUCY    AT    PLAY. 


her  father  just  going  into  the  room,  with  a  largt 
book  of  n^aps  under  his  arm. 

"  Well,  Lucy,"  said  her  father,  "  are  you  com- 
ing to  see  me  ?  " 

Lucy  walked  slowly  towards  him,  with  a  down- 
cast  look,  but  she  said  nothing.  "  What  is  the 
matter,  Lucy  ?  "  said  her  father. 

"  Why,  —  why,"  said  Lucy,  in  a  very  low  and 
timid  voice,  —  "  the  ink  has  got  on  your  great 
book." 

"  My  great  book  ?  What  book  ?  "  said  her 
father. 

"  Your  great  book  on  the  table  ;  —  that  great 
book." 

So  saying,  Lucy  pointed  to  the  book  upon  the 
table ;  for  by  this  time  they  had  got  into  the 
room  where  they  could  see  the  table  and  the 
book  upon  it. 

"  Where  ?  "  said  her  father.  "  Where  is  the 
ink?" 

"  Somewhere  in  the  middle  of  it  "  said  Lucy. 
"  But  I  don't  suppose  I  can  find  it  now." 

Her  father  took  up  the  great  book,  and  began 
turning  over  the  leaves ;  but  he  did  not  find  the 
ink  spot. 

"  But,  Lucy,"  said  he,  "  how  did  you  get  the 
ink  upon  my  book  •*  " 


THE     DlCTIONARr.  1 


I  I 


"  Why,  father/*  said  Lucy,  "  ycu  see,  I  was 
going  to  write  me  a  letter,  and  the  ink  wouldn't 
stay  in  the  pen." 

"  Now,  Lucy,  that  was  very  wrong.  You 
ought  not  to  come  to  my  table,  and  to  take  my 
pen  and  ink  without  leave.  How  big  was  tl>e 
blot  ? " 

"  'Twas  pretty  big,"  said  Lucy,  timidly. 

"  I  can't  find  the  place,"  said  her  father.  "O, 
now  I  remember.  It  must  have  been  at  horizon. 
I  was  looking  horizon,  to  see  how  it  was  ac- 
cented." 

"  No,  sir,  it  was  at  Hon.  I  remember  now 
myself;  it  was  at  Ao/?." 

Her  father  made  no  reply,  but,  after  turning 
over  a  few  leaves,  he  came  at  once  to  the  place, 
and  there,  to  Lucy's  utter  astonishment,  there 
were  two  blots,  instead  of  one ;  there  was  one  on 
each  page.  They  were  very  large,  too,  much 
larger  than  the  one  which  Lucy  had  seen. 

"  Now,  there  are  two  blots,"  said  Lucy  ;  "  how 
came  that  other  one  there?  " 

"  Why,  that  was  made  by  shuttmg  up  the  book," 
eaid  her  father.     "  How  came  the  book  shut  up  ?  ** 

"  Why,  T  shut  it,  sir,"  said  Lucy. 

*^  What  did  you  shut  it  for?"  said  her  father 

"  Because,"    said    Lucy,   speaking    m  a  ven 


178  LUCY  AT  PLAY. 

timid  voice  again,  "  I  did  not  want  you  to  sefl 
the  blot." 

"  Then  what  did  vou  come  and  tell  me  for  f " 
said  her  father. 

"  Why,  I  thought  it  would  be  better  to  come 
and  tell  you,"  said  Lucy. 

"  You  first  shut  the  book  in  order  to  conceal  it, 
and  then  you  altered  your  mind,  and  so  came  and 
told  me  ;  was  that  it?  " 

'•'  Yes,  sir,"  said  Lucy. 

"  Well,"  said  her  father,  "  that  was  honest,  at 
any  rate.  And  the  blot,  I  see,  is  on  the  very 
word  honesty.     What  a  curious  coincidence  !  " 

"  I  don't  know  what  you  mean  by  coinci- 
dence,^^ said  Lucy. 

*'  Why,  you  were  honest  in  coming  to  tell  me  ol 
the  blot,  and  the  blot  happens  to  be  upon  the 
word  honesty.  That's  a  coincidence.  I  am 
glad  you  were  honest ;  but,  then,  you  did  very 
wrong  to  come  and  attempt  to  write  with  my 
pen  You  have  done  me  a  great  deal  of  mis- 
chief." 

"  Can't  you  get  the  blots  out,  any  possible 
way  ?  "  asked  Lucy. 

"  No,  I  presume  not,"  he  replied.  "  I  might 
try  an  acid,  howev^er,"  he  added,  in  a  low  voi^e, 
as  if  talking  to  himself 


^  THE     DICTIONARY.  179 

"I  wish  Tou  would,  father.  '  said  Lucv.  "Do 
\xv  an  acid,  father." 

Lucy  did  not  know  what  an  acid  wap,  noi 
how  her  father  was  going  to  attempt  to  remove 
the  ink  stains  by  means  of  it ;  but  she  was  very 
eager  to  have  him  try  any  thing  which  promised 
any  chance  of  success. 

"  I  don't  think  I  can  take  the  spots  out  en- 
tirely," said  her  father;  "but  perhaps  I  can 
change  their  color,  so  that  they  will  not  be  quite 
so  conspicuous." 

As  he  said  this,  he  took  the  lamp  and  went 
away,  Lucy  following  him.  He  went  to  a  closet 
which  was  in  another  room,  and  took  down  a 
small  phial,  and  poured  out  a  few  drops  of  the 
liquid  which  was  in  it,  into  a  tea-cup.  Then  he 
got  some  water,  and  poured  about  a  spoonful 
into  the  lea-cup  too.  Then  he  came  back  with 
Lucv  into  his  own  room. 

"  First,"  said  he,  "  we  will  try  it  upon  anothei 
piece  of  paper." 

So  saying,  he  took  a  small  piece  of  newspaper, 
and  made  a  blot  upon  it  about  as  large  as  those 
which  Lucy  had  made  in  the  book.  Then  he 
held  the  newspaper  to  the  fire  until  the  bloi 
was  dry. 

"  Now  I  mu?t  make  a  little  bnish,"  said  he 


(80  LUCY    AT    PLAY. 

'*  How  can  you   make  a  brush  ?  '*  said  Luc jr 

Her  father  only  said  in  reply,  "  You  will  see." 
He  went  to  his  closet,  and  took  a  quill  out  from  a 
bunch  which  was  there.-  He  cut  off  the  top,  and 
put  the  qu'U  back,  and  then  brought  the  top  tc 
the  table.  Then  he  stripped  off  all  the  feathers 
except  a  small  tuft  at  the  end,  and  that,  he  said, 
was  his  brush. 

This  brush  he  dipped  into  the  tea-cup,  and  then 
very  carefully  washed  over  the  ink  spot  upon  the 
newspaper.  Lucy  saw  that  it  made  the  spot 
look  much  more  dim.  Then  her  father  washed 
over  the  spots  in  the  book  in  the  same  way.  The 
spots  grew  faint,  and  turned  of  a  reddish  color ; 
but  he  could  not  get  them  out  entirely. 

"  It  looks  a  great  deal  better,"  said  her  fatheir, 
"  but  1  cannot  get  them  out  entirely.  There 
they  must  stay  forever.  I  shall  see  them  a  great 
many  times,  for  they  are  in  my  dictionary,  and  1 
am  often  turning  over  the  leaves.  And  alway? 
when  I  see  them  1  shall  remembei  how  they 
came  there.  One  of  them  will  remind  me  of 
your  heedlessness,  and  the  other  of  your  hon 
ssty." 

THE    END. 


1^ 


■ 


YB  37064 


